- Minister directed that all domestic and foreign airlines be informed not to board Kwam 1 pending final investigation outcomes.
- Keyamo criticised the pilot for proceeding to taxi without confirming if Kwam 1 had left the aircraft path.
The minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo, has threatened to withdraw the licence of any airline that transports Fuji star, Wasiu Ayinde, popularly called Kwam 1.
His position followed a confrontation involving the singer and crew members of a ValueJet flight on Tuesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Keyamo said video recordings and agency reports had shown conduct that endangered safety, describing it as a chaotic moment that might have escalated into a fatal situation.
He insisted that the Fuji musician’s behaviour was unacceptable, stressing that the issue was not about what he was carrying but his disruptive actions.
“Contrary to what the agents of Kwam 1 has said, he CONSTANTLY moved his position on the tarmac to ACTUALLY BLOCK the aircraft from taxiing to take position on the runway for take-off. This is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE behaviour,” Keyamo stated.
He said any physical obstruction of aircraft movement amounts to a serious breach and likened it to an attempt at hostage-taking.
“It is the physical blockage of the aircraft from taxiing that is the reprehensible conduct here, which is akin to a hostage situation. The actual video footage showing this recalcitrant behaviour is hereby attached,” he added.
The minister also criticised the flight captain and crew for initiating taxiing procedures without ensuring the disruptive individual had been cleared from the runway.
He said both the passenger and the flight crew ignored established aviation safety procedures mandated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
“Both sides breached standard SAFETY PROTOCOL as required by the INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANISATION (ICAO),” he said.
Although the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority had suspended the pilot and captain of the flight, Keyamo faulted the agency for failing to take action against the passenger.
As part of his directive, Keyamo said Kwam 1 must be included on a no-fly list until investigations into the matter are concluded.
“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,” he said.
He ordered that every airline, whether operating within or outside Nigeria, must be made aware of the directive without delay.
“ALL AIRLINES, both domestic and International should IMMEDIATELY be informed of this directive and anyone who flouts this directive risk withdrawal of their operating licence,” the minister warned.
Before Keyamo’s statement, the NCAA had announced that the musician would be blacklisted for six months due to his disruptive behaviour on the airport tarmac.
Discussion about this post