Victor EzejaMinister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, says the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) spent close to N1 billion on Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) and air tickets for principal officers who travelled back and forth from Lagos to Abuja “almost on a daily basis” in 2023.
The minister made the disclosure via a statement posted on his official X handle on Thursday morning.
Keyamo gave an update to the earlier figure of N500 million he mentioned when he appeared on Channels Television Politics Today programme on Wednesday.
Reactions have continued to trail the decision of the Federal Government to move FAAN headquarters back to Lagos.
The headquarters of FAAN was moved from Lagos to Abuja in 2020 under the former Aviation Minister, Senator Hadi Sirika.
Keyamo said when FAAN headquarters was moved from Lagos to Abuja, there was no provision for offices of principal officers such as directors and those under them in Abuja.
READ ALSO: 8 Reasons For Moving FAAN Headquarters To Lagos
Giving a breakdown of the N1 billion, the aviation minister said N493.6 million was spent on DTA while air tickets for FAAN principal officers shuttling from Lagos to Abuja amounted to N451 million.
“When I did my Channels TV interview yesterday, I had not been briefed as to the amount FAAN spent last year alone on DTA (Duty Tour Allowance) for the principal officers who travelled back and forth from Lagos to Abuja almost on a daily basis. The amount came up to N493,678,620.37. This is aside from the air tickets which I mentioned, which amounted to N451,058,950.09.
“So, in total, because of insistence on naming Abuja as the headquarters of FAAN (when there are no offices in Abuja to accommodate all the principal officers) FAAN spent close to N1 billion in one year!” Keyamo stated on his X handle.
He said all FAAN principal officers have been in Lagos because they had no accommodation in Abuja and were shuttling to the FCT frequently.
According to the minister, FAAN officials met him with the relocation request and he approved it to save costs incurred on trips.
Explaining further about the rationale for the relocation he said: “It’s just for operational efficiency.”
Responding to questions about those opposing the move, he stated that all aviation unions are in support of the quest to relocate FAAN headquarters back to Lagos, adding that more issues in the aviation sector need attention more than dwelling on the issue of relocating the agency’s headquarters.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
