Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has assured that the license granted to Bishop David Oyedepo’s Living Faith Church, commonly known as Winners’ Chapel, remains valid and will not be revoked.
This statement follows an earlier call by the House of Representatives in October to revoke licenses issued to the church and other private entities over alleged national security concerns.
Addressing the issue during an appearance on This Morning, an Arise Television program, Keyamo stressed that the church had fully adhered to all legal and regulatory requirements before its airstrip was approved.
He stated, “You cannot single out an individual in a country like this when you’ve given the same right to many others and say, ‘Withdraw that particular one.’ On what grounds? The church has not violated any terms under which the license was issued. The constitution forbids discrimination against any Nigerian.”
Keyamo also detailed the rigorous approval process, noting that it took over a year to grant the license. “By law, the Minister must approve such requests. We ensured every step of the process was followed before I signed off,” he explained.
The Minister clarified operational guidelines for private airstrips, emphasizing that no aircraft can depart directly from such facilities to international destinations. “All flights must first land at an international airport for proper checks and processing. The same applies to incoming flights—they must stop at an international airport before proceeding to any private airstrip,” he added.
Keyamo’s remarks underline his commitment to fairness and adherence to due process, countering the calls for revocation as discriminatory and unfounded.