Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced that the ministry will be commencing the compulsory collection of access fees from all visitors at Federal Airport toll gates nationwide.
He revealed that the initial memo was designed to exclude President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. However, he promptly mentioned that the President was adamant that there should be no exceptions, and that all Nigerians, including his convoy, should contribute.
“The first approval that we sought and obtained was in respect of mandatory payments of access fees by all visitors at our federal airport toll gates nationwide. No more exemption. When we came to office, we met a tradition on the ground where at the end of the year, all manners of VIPs would approach us for what they call complimentary e-tags or complimentary stickers.
“They don’t pay the access fees. They don’t pay for parking, they don’t pay for essential services at airports, and they are VIPs. And I told myself and my team, I said not under my watch. It will not happen. If this tradition has been existing for years, I will not allow it to happen. Because it is inconceivable that in our country it is the VIPs that don’t pay for services but it is the poor men that pay for services.
“The VIPs was supposed to have money to pay for services but they compel poor men to pay for services. And I said no. I said we need the backing of council to compel everybody. In fact, guess what? Our memo says with the exception of the President and the Vice President. And the President overruled me and said he and the Vice President will pay, he said everybody,” he said.
