THE consideration by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and the civil aviation authorities to appoint musician Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM1, as an ambassador is absurd. Indeed, it is ill-advised to reward bad behaviour.
Following his infamous attempt to prevent the departure of a ValueJet Airlines plane at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, on August 5, the idea sends the wrong message that bad behaviour can be rewarded in Nigeria.
Michael Achimigu, spokesman for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, correctly noted that such conduct amounts to terrorism in other countries.
KWAM1 was initially handed a six-month flight ban, later reduced to one month after the musician’s apology and Keyamo’s intervention, while police investigations into the matter remain ongoing. Thus, appointing KWAM1 as an ambassador for aviation security is another act in Nigeria’s theatre of the absurd.
Keyamo also intervened in the case of Comfort Emmanson, who was forcibly removed from an Ibom Air flight upon arrival in Lagos from Uyo due to violent conduct. Viral videos showed Emmanson assaulting air crew, ground staff, and security personnel. She was charged with assault and aircraft damage, remanded in jail pending trial, and subjected to a lifetime ban by airline operators.
Yet, reprieve came through the minister’s intervention: Emmanson was released, charges were dropped, and the ban lifted.
She now reportedly enjoys offers for a cushy N500,000-a-month job in Delta State, free travel and holidays to “cool off”, and even a plot of land in Abuja as compensation for her “discomfort”.
Online chatter suggests possible future Nollywood acting roles, while airlines are considering her as an ambassador for good passenger behaviour.
Nigeria continues to wallow in corruption, moral decay, and ineptitude that hinder progress across many fronts due to a glaring failure to punish infractions, bad conduct, and even high crimes.
While Keyamo may believe his interventions bring closure, serious crimes have been committed in full public glare. Failure to enforce the law reinforces the notion that Nigeria is a country where anything goes, especially for the rich and connected.
By any standard, KWAM1’s offence is more serious than Emmanson’s and carries a mandatory two-year imprisonment under the Criminal and Penal codes. Yet, it was Emmanson who landed in jail. This unequal treatment sparked public outrage that led to a soft landing for all involved, including the pilots.
Globally, airports are designated as high-security environments where passenger and operational rules must be strictly enforced to ensure smooth and secure operations, especially in the post-9/11 era.
Those who breach these rules must face appropriate sanctions to serve as a deterrent. Nigeria must uphold these standards.
This languid approach has also extended to killer insurgents in the North, many labelled “repentant” and spared prosecution despite their heinous crimes. Some were even rewarded with military jobs, only to act as spies for enemies.
Regardless, PR companies and organisations use redemption narratives where tainted celebrities retain ambassadorial roles for good causes if they have been cleared, shown remorse or personal transformation, though this strategy sometimes backfires.
Globally known figures like Chris Brown, Oscar Pistorius, and R. Kelly have been ambassadors for domestic violence and anti-cyberbullying campaigns despite well-documented legal troubles.
In Nigeria, actresses like Tonto Dikeh, musicians such as Seun Kuti, Terry G, and Kizz Daniel, and transport union leader MC Oluomo have been appointed ambassadors for various causes with controversial outcomes. There was a controversial consideration to make a singer, Naira Marley (Adeshina Fashola), an anti-drug ambassador by the authorities despite his notoriety in that space.
Pardons and reduced sentences are part of law enforcement, but should not be applied frivolously. Role models, especially, should not be granted reprieve due to celebrity status.
Such practices set poor examples for Nigeria’s youth, increasingly corrupted by displays of wealth, power, and untouchable status among political elites, shady businessmen, and celebrities on social media.
Nigeria needs to set firm examples to affirm that the law applies equally to all.
•Editorial By Punch newspaper
