Tinubu, Shettima to pay tollgate fees at airports
*As FG makes payment of e-tags compulsory
President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima will start paying tollgate fees whenever they use airports in Nigeria.
This followed the decision by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval that there should be no more exemption granted to users of the airports from paying tollgate fees.
The approval was made following a memorandum presented to the council by the minister of aviation, Festus Keyamo, who argued that the government was losing over 82% of the revenue it should have earned from the e-tags that provide access to the tollgates.
Keyamo, stated this while briefing State House Correspondents shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Tuesday.
The FEC meeting was adjourned on Monday May 13, 2024 to Tuesday. According to the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, the Council could not take all the memos that were to be presented by members.
Keyamo said no one would be exempted paying for access into the airports including foreign guests.
According to him, the situations where some persons refuse to pay for access to airports with the claim that they are Very Important Personalities (VIPs) would no longer happen.
He said out of 100% E-tags printed, only 18% are paid for, thereby leading to loss of revenues in the aviation sector.
“Council has approved that henceforth nobody will be exempted from paying for access into our airports.
“The President and the Vice President have also said they should not be excluded from this new policy,” Keyamo said.
Speaking on the recent incidents of some aircraft skidding off the runaways in parts of the country, including that of Dana Air, Keyamo frowned upon the lack of efficiency by some airliners.
He said the government would ensure proper infrastructure auditing of all airlines to ensure that any airline showing signs of inefficiency are banned from operating.
