Reps approve Tinubu’s request to refund N24bn to Kebbi, Nasarawa for airport takeover

The house of representatives has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to refund the sum of N24 billion to Nasarawa and Kebbi states.

The house approved the request after a report presented by Lanre Okunlola, deputy chair of the committee on loans and debts management, during Thursday’s plenary.

In May, Tinubu sought the national assembly’s nod to issue promissory notes of N 15,137,336,095 for Kebbi and N9,542,651,786 for Nasarawa for the construction of Ahmadu Bello International Airport and Lafia Cargo Airport, respectively.

Tinubu had said the reimbursement would enable the federal government to take over the two airports.

“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 president said.

“The impact of this is that ownership, regulation and control of airports in Nigeria are exclusive to the federal government.

“In light of the above, I urge the house to consider and grant concurrent approval for the establishment of the promissory notes programme in favour of Kebbi and Nasarawa states governments, respectively.”