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President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima must now pay airport access tolls and parking fees at the nation's airports.
This decision was made during the Federal Executive Council meeting, chaired by Tinubu, which approved a memorandum from the Ministry of Aviation to eliminate toll exemptions for all Very Important Persons and government officials using the airports.
Minister Festus Keyamo, who addressed journalists after the FEC meeting, stated that the government lost over 82% of the revenue it should have earned from the e-tags providing airport access. Initially, the memoranda recommended an exemption for the president and vice president, but Tinubu overruled this, insisting that he and the VP, along with their aides, must pay tolls.
“Our memo says ‘except 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 with the money to pay tolls are evading payment, leaving the authorities to rely on chargesfrom 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.
