Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced a resolution to the recent airport altercations involving Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1) and passenger Comfort Emmanson.
After consulting with aviation stakeholders and reviewing the incidents, Keyamo stated that “valuable lessons have been learnt by all sides.”
According to a statement Keyamo signed, he noted the passengers and airline staff involved committed “clear wrongs” and that everyone should acknowledge their own “equal culpability.”
The statement, while citing “compassionate grounds” and “remorse shown by the actors,” disclosed that the government has made the following decisions:
Comfort Emmanson’s Case: Keyamo has asked Ibom Air to withdraw its complaint against Emmanson, who was remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Centre for assaulting airline crew. He expects her to be released from prison this week. The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has also agreed to lift the lifetime flight ban previously imposed on her.
Read Also: Keyamo places Kwam 1 on no-fly list over Abuja airport chaos
KWAM 1’s Case: The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will reduce the singer’s flight ban to one month. The NCAA will also withdraw its criminal complaint against him. Furthermore, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) plans to engage KWAM 1 as an ambassador for proper airport security protocols.
Pilots’ Licenses: The licenses of Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and First Officer Ivan Iloba of ValueJet, who were suspended following the KWAM 1 incident, will be restored after a one-month ban and mandatory professional re-appraisal.
Keyamo also directed all relevant aviation agencies to hold a retreat next week. The goal is to retrain security personnel on how to handle disruptive passengers and de-escalate tense situations.
The airlines will also have a separate session to address the conduct of their staff towards the public.
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