Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has harshly criticised the recent airport conduct of renowned Fuji musician KWAM 1, describing his actions as a serious threat to aviation safety.
In a firm statement released Thursday, Keyamo said he had carefully reviewed security footage and aviation reports concerning the August 5 incident at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, where KWAM 1 allegedly disrupted ValueJet operations by physically obstructing an aircraft.
“Contrary to what the agents of Kwam 1 have 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,” he said. “This is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE behaviour.”
Keyamo equated the interference to a form of hostage-taking, saying: “It is the physical blockage of the aircraft from taxiing that is the reprehensible conduct here, which is akin to a hostage situation.”
The minister also condemned the ValueJet pilot for attempting to proceed with the taxi process while KWAM 1 was still on the tarmac, calling it a breach of international safety standards set by the ICAO.
“No amount of provocation should make the Captain and Pilot of an aircraft begin to taxi without ensuring that the security personnel have safely moved an unruly passenger away,” he added.
Though the pilot has been suspended by the NCAA, Keyamo criticised the imbalance in accountability and ordered that KWAM 1 be placed on a no-fly list. He mandated that all airlines be informed immediately.
“What applies to the goose must also to the gander,” he said. “Anyone who flouts this directive risks withdrawal of their operating licence.”