The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reacted to the move by the House of Representatives to revoke the licences of certain airstrips in the country, especially the airstrip licenced for Cannaanland, the headquarters of Bishop David Oyedepo’s Living Faith Church (LFC) Worldwide, also known as Winners Chapel, saying it shows “complete lack of knowledge of the aviation sector.”
Blaming the move by the House of Representatives on lack of understanding of the aviation industry, the Minister explained that Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), established by the Nigerian government in 1999, provides Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers at all airports and airstrips, with private airstrip owners paying the Federal Government substantial fees for these services.
Keyamo therefore emphasised that no aircraft can enter Nigerian airspace without prior clearance by NAMA and a clear flight plan detailing its take-off and landing points.
A member of the House, Sulaiman Abubarka had argued in a motion that the frequent approval of airstrips for private individuals especially that of Bishop Oyedepo’s Canaanland could exacerbate the country’s security challenges.
In fact, the pro-Muslim group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) had on Friday applauded the House of Representatives for taking “such a bold step” in demanding the revocation of the licence for the Canaanland airstrip.
MURIC, in a statement by its Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said: “An airstrip that can facilitate the landing of hundreds of Israel’s Mossad agents and other Christian terrorists is not what Nigeria needs at this moment.”
But responding via “X” (formerly Twitter), Keyamo said: “I think this is not correct. The House of Reps. as a body did not call on the Minister to revoke the license of any private airstrip.
“I think what happened is that someone moved a motion in that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it. Whilst the intention of the Hon. Member who moved it is very patriotic, it was based on a complete lack of knowledge of the aviation sector.
“By the time we explain to them how private air strips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be satisfied.
“The responsibility of the owners of private air strips is just to build the runway and terminal building. But after they build the control tower in particular, it is completely handed over to the Federal Government through NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) which is in complete control of the entire airspace in Nigeria.
“An MOU is usually signed with NAMA in this regard before the airstrip is approved for operations. It is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in ALL AIRPORTS and AIRSTRIPS IN NIGERIA. And the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services. No object flies into Nigeria without the prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a clear flight plan, eg, where it is taking off from and where it intends to land.
“And I have recently directed that all aircraft coming into the country MUST first land at our international airports where they would be properly processed and checked before they make their local flights into whatever airport or airstrip they intend to go.
“So, it is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY impossible for any private airstrip owner to just jump on an aircraft and fly in and out of the country through that facility. The Federal Government does not permit that. You will not be cleared for take off or landing without prior request and authorisation. I thank the Member for his patriotism, but I wish he contacted us first to explain to him before rushing to move such a motion.”