President Bola Tinubu and the Vice President Kashim Shettima are now to pay airport access toll and parking fees at airports. This was one of the decisions of the Federal Executive Council its meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday. Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation, who announced this, said government was losing over 82 per cent of the accruable revenue from the e-tags that provide access to the airports. He said the memoranda had initially recommended an exemption for the president and the vice president, but the president had overruled the recommendation, insisting that he and the VP alongside 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 said. The Minister lamented that VIPs who have the money to pay tolls are evading payment, leaving the authorities to rely on charges 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 promised to put an end to 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 federal government would generate over N10 billion annually from tolls even if it considered rebate for military veterans.
