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Tinubu, Shettima, other VIPs to pay tollgate fees at airports
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Management, Festus Key among has disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his deputy Kashim Shettima and other VIPs will henceforth pay toll gates fee at all national airports.
“No more exemption. When we came to the office, we met a tradition on the ground where at the end of the year, all manners of VIPs would approach us for what they call complimentary e-tags or complimentary stickers. Whereby you see them coming into our airports nationwide. They don’t pay the access fees.
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“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. If this tradition has been existing for years, I will not allow it to happen. Because it is inconceivable that in our country it is the VIPs that don’t pay for services but it is the poor men that pay for services.
The VIPs were supposed to have money to pay for services, but they compel poor men to pay for services and I said no. So I got my team together, I said we need the backing of the Council to compel everybody. In fact, guess what? Our memo says with the exception of the President and the Vice President and the President overruled me and said he and the Vice President would pay.
“Let me give you the shocking statistics. The negative figure that we get at the end of the day from the complimentary e-tags is 82% in the negative. In other words, where we are supposed to have a 100% contract the e-costs from these e-tags that we print, it is only 18% that we now end up selling. That is how bad it is, 18% and 82% of these e-tags are given out free of charge to VIPs. So imagine the loss in my sector and I ask myself which other sector will I go to that they give me anything free?
“I’ll give another example. In one of the access gates, based on the count of the barrier going up and down, we are supposed to be making N250 or N260 million from that get every month. That gate, because of exemptions, the return is less than N100 million every month. That also of course, breeds corruption too because now you cannot track, you cannot have the audit trail of those free tags that you now give to our people to give out to people.
“So it was approved that the SGF should send a system-wide circular to everybody. We are going to also write to everybody, be it in the judiciary, the legislature, the executive, or the military high command, they can buy for their personnel yearly and don’t have to pay for every time you pass. Buy the yearly tags for all your officers, you have the money to pay us, so that we can improve your services at the airport.
“We got approval for that as part of ICAO’s requirements in the sum of N4.2 billion and a fraction, inclusive of VAT, with a completion period of 12 months to supply and also to train the handlers of these equipment to handle them and remove disabled aircraft from our runways, he concluded.
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2027: God Will Decide Atiku’s Fate – Dele Momodu_ July25news
Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation Magazine, has pushed back at critics of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Momodu spoke in an interview on Channels Television against the backdrop of calls from some highly placed Nigerians that Atiku should drop his presidential ambition because of age.
There have been speculations that Abubakar will seek the PDP’s presidential ticket for the umpteenth time.
On Sunday, Ayodele Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti, said Nigerians are craving for a younger generation of leaders.
He requested the former vice president who will be 81 in 2027 to halt his serial presidential contests.
But Momodu, a former presidential aspirant and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), wondered why critics of Abubakar are scared of his presidential ambition.
According to him, only God and destiny will determine whether Atiku achieved his lifelong presidential ambition come 2027.
Asked to react to Fayose’s comments on Abubakar’s presidential ambition, the Ovation publisher said he cannot legislate on how the former vice-president runs his political life.
Momodu said those criticising Abubakar’s presidential ambition did not support young candidates during the 2023 elections.
The PDP chieftain cited US President Joe Biden and Donald Trump as examples of politicians who became presidents at an advanced age.
He said “What has been the impact of these younger people who said they have been in politics?” Momodu asked.
“Go and check their states. What have they done for the amount of money made available to them? Age cannot be an automatic qualification or disqualification in politics.
“It is up to God and destiny. I am a child of destiny and that is why I have contentment. If Alhaji Atiku decides to run, good luck to him. If he doesn’t want to run, no problem. But for anybody to muzzle him… why are they afraid of him”.
On whether Atiku would be a threat to President Tinubu’s reelection bid, Momodu said “I’m sure they (Abubakar’s critics) believe so. I know those who believe that he is the only one right now.
“Abubakar will be a threat if he is able to galvanise a mega political party. He will be a threat,” Momodu added.
The PDP chieftain said Abubakar stands a chance in 2027 if the “mood of the nation is overwhelmingly opposed to the current leader”.
Daily Trust reports that although Atiku has run for the number one office six times, only made it to the ballot as a presidential candidate on three occasions in 2007, 2019, and 2023.
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Idris Awards N7.23bn Road Construction In Kebbi – July25news
Birnin Kebbi – Ambursa road and completion of a multi-billion Naira ultra-moderm secretariat complex.
Others according to him, are; renewal and dualisation of Birnin Kebbi township roads to give the state capital a befitting outlook, construction of a new motor park in the state capital which would soon be commissioned as well as construction of an Aeroplane filing station at Sir Ahmadu International Airport.
“Construction of this aero filing station motivated the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to approve the inaugural flagg-off of 2024 pilgrims airlift from Birnin Kebbi to Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Alhaji Sama’ila Muhammadu-Mera, Emir of Argungu, lauded the state governor for finding Argungu worthy of the project.
He thanked the present administration for spreading projects across Argungu emirate.
The Monarch also on behalf of other traditional rulers in the state thanked the governor for the care and concern being accorded to traditional institutions across the state.
The Emir used the occasion to present a silver sword to the governor symbolising conferment of a traditional title of “Jigon Kabi”.
On its part, the contractor handling the project, Amirco Universal Concept promised to complete the project within six months instead of 12 months. (more…)
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