The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has been instructed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to place Kwam 1 on a no-fly list pending full investigation.
He made this clear on his X handle today by highlighting that he had received reports regarding the discord between the staff and crew of ValueJet and Kwam 1 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. He described the issue as “a case of temporary loss of sanity and control on both sides, which could have led to serious fatalities.”
He further explained that both sides breached standard safety protocols by the International Civil Aviation Organization, and emphasized the unruly behavior of the musician, who moved from his position on the tarmac to block the aircraft from taxiing to take position on the runway for takeoff. He described the behavior as totally unacceptable.
However, he also criticized the action of the captain and pilot of the aircraft. He stated that no amount of provocation should make the captain and pilot of an aircraft begin to taxi without ensuring that security personnel have safely moved an unruly passenger away from standing in front of an aircraft.
He commended the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for temporarily suspending the license of the captain and pilot pending full investigation. On the other hand, he questioned their sense of justice by acting against only one party and not the other.
“What applies to the goose must also to the gander. That is one of the tenets of justice I have preached all my life. I will not sit idly by and allow this to pass.
In the circumstance, I have also directed the NCAA to place Kwam 1 on a no-fly list pending further and full investigation, just like the captain and pilot. All airlines, both domestic and international, should immediately be informed of this directive, and anyone who flouts this directive risks withdrawal of their operating license.”
