President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima will now be required to pay airport access tolls and parking fees like all other travelers at the nation’s airports.
The Federal Executive Council, chaired by President Tinubu, approved a memorandum from the Ministry of Aviation abolishing toll exemptions for all Very Important Persons (VIPs) and government officials using airports.
Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo announced this decision to journalists after Tuesday’s FEC meeting.
He explained that the government had been losing over 82% of the revenue it should have earned from e-tags providing access to airports. Initially, the memoranda recommended an exemption for the president and vice president.
However, President Tinubu overruled this recommendation, insisting that he and the vice president, along with their aides, must pay tolls.
“Our memo says ‘with the exception of the President and the Vice President’. But the President overruled me and said he and the Vice President will pay, he said everybody will pay,” Keyamo revealed.
The Minister lamented that VIPs who have the money to pay tolls are evading payment, leaving the authorities to rely on charges gotten from the poor.
“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 on my team, I said not under my watch. It will not happen,” he said.
Keyamo vowed to end episodes where uniform officers harass airport staff at the gates, assuring citizens that more cameras will be “planted” in strategic positions to capture those culpable.
He said the FG stands to generate N10bn annually from tolls, even as it considers a rebate for military veterans.
Details shortly…
