AIRPORT TAKEOVER: TINUBU SEEKS REPS' APPROVAL TO REFUND N24BN TO NASARAWA, KEBBI

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The Federal Government should be given concurrent clearance by the House of Representatives, according to President Bola Tinubu, so that the states of Kebbi and Nasarawa can receive N24 billion back for assuming control of the airports that they constructed.

The President made the request in a letter to Speaker of the House Abbas Tajudeen, which Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu read aloud on the Green Chamber floor on Thursday during the plenary session.

The President is requesting permission from the House to return more than N15 billion to the Kebbi State Government and N9 billion to its counterpart in Nasarawa.

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The Nasarawa State Government spent N9 billion building the Lafia Cargo Airport in Nasarawa, while Kebbi State had previously used the funds to build the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.

The letter read, “Establishment of a promissory note programme in favour of the Kebbi and Nasarawa State governments for the reimbursement of the respective costs of the construction of newly-built airports in those states that had been taken over by the Federal Government.

“The House of Representatives is invited to note that at the Executive Council meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, which was held on the 23rd day of May 2023, it was approved as follows:

“That a promissory note in the sum of N9,000,542,651,786.11 be issued to the Nasarawa State Government as a refund for the takeover of the newly constructed Nasarawa Airport.”

“That a promissory note in the sum of N15,137,336,95.88 only be issued to Kebbi State State Government as a refund for the takeover of the Birnin Kebbi International Airport.

“The House of Representatives may wish to note that by the provisions of item three of the second schedule of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, aviation, including airports, safety of aircraft, and carriage of passengers and goods by air, fall under the exclusive legislative list.

“The impact of this is that ownership, regulation, and control of airports in Nigeria are exclusive to the Federal Government,” the letter read.

Tinubu urged the House “to consider and grant concurrent approval for the establishment of the promissory notes programme” for both states.