FG Steps Back From KWAM1’s Six-Month No-fly List

By Gideon Njoku

There is a strong indication that the no-fly ban placed on Musician Wasiu Ayinde, popular as KWAM 1,  from Nigeria’s Airports may not last upto six months. In deed, it may be lifted within a couple of weeks, if not days.

The expected lifting of the ban will not be because Kwam1 has climbed down from his high horse of asking: “Do you know who I am”?, to tendering a public apology for his unruly behaviour at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, it is because the Government has made a u-turn on its initial sanction.

Within 24 hours after the ugly incident, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, acting on the orders of the Minister for Aviation, Festus Keyamo, SAN, had placed Kwam1 on a six-month no fly list. This was after Keyamo expressed outrage that the licenses of both the Captain and Flying Officer of ValueJet Airline were suspended while Kwam1 received no sanction. He threatened to deal with any airline, including international airlines, that goes against the order.

But speaking on Kwam1’s suspension on Friday, the Federal Government said it was no longer for six months but indefinitely until the end of investigations into the incident. It is not likely, many think,  that the investigation will last for more than one month. And from what Mike Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection  NCAA,  who spoke on TVC said,  the investigation has no completion date yet.

He said:

“It is no longer a six-month issue. It is until whenever investigations into this matter have been concluded. There is no certain date for that, but investigations are ongoing.”

On the findings so far, he said  preliminary investigations “showed that Kwam 1 passed through airport security scanners successfully and accessed the VIP lounge, where it was believed he obtained a bottle of water.

“Passengers boarding from the VIP lounge still undergo another check before getting on the plane. It was at that point the liquid was discovered, and he was told he could not board with it and was asked to stand aside.

“The allegation is that

KWAM 1 refused to comply and proceeded towards the aircraft. Security personnel, possibly avoiding the use of force, walked alongside him to the foot of the aircraft, where the pilot was called to assess the situation.

“While that was going on, in trying to prove that what he was carrying was harmless, he splashed water. Somehow, some of it splashed on the pilot, who got angry, got back into the aircraft, and shut the door of the plane.”

The investigation’s findings, he explained, will be made public as soon as it is ready.