President Bola Tinubu wrote to the Senate on Wednesday, seeking approval to refund over N15 billion to the Kebbi State Government.
The state had earlier spent the money to construct the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi, the capital.
He also requested approval to reimburse another N9bn to the Nasarawa State Government for the construction of Lafia Cargo Airport, Nasarawa.
Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, read Tinubu’s letter to senators.
Tinubu explained that the Federal Government had assumed control of the facilities, hence the need to reimburse the states.
He stated that “aviation, including airports, safety of aircraft, and carriage of passengers and goods by air” were under the control of the federal government, a role assigned to it by the 1999 Constitution.
The letter reads, “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 have been taken over by the federal government.
“The Senate 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 government as refund for the takeover of Bernin Kebbi International Airport.
“The Senate 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.
“In light of the above, I urge the Senate to consider and grant concurrent approval for the establishment of the promissory notes programme in favour of the Kebbi and Nasarawa state governments, respectively, as prescribed in paragraph two above.”
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