Nigeria's Federal Government has named Fuji music icon, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, as an ambassador for airport security protocol, following his recent altercation with officials at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, SAN, disclosed the decision in a statement on Wednesday, outlining resolutions to a series of high-profile incidents of unruly behaviour at Nigerian airports.
Keyamo said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had agreed to reduce the musician’s flight ban from six months to one month, while the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) would coordinate the engagement to promote proper conduct within the aviation space.
> “The NCAA is to reduce his flight ban to a one-month period. FAAN will also work with the music star with a view to engaging him as an ambassador for proper airport security protocol going forward,” Keyamo said.
He added that, having shown remorse, the NCAA would also withdraw its criminal complaint against the singer. The decision, he noted, was influenced by appeals from respected figures and KWAM 1’s public apology over the August 5 incident.
The confrontation occurred while the artist was preparing to board a ValueJet flight to Lagos. He was accused of carrying a prohibited flask believed to contain alcohol, spilling its contents on personnel, and walking onto the tarmac in a manner that allegedly delayed the aircraft’s movement. KWAM 1 later insisted the flask contained water for medical reasons, not alcohol.
The NCAA had initially placed him on a six-month no-fly list and lodged a criminal case with the police, citing breaches of aviation safety regulations.
Keyamo stressed that the clemency was granted strictly on compassionate grounds, warning that government would continue to enforce safety and security laws in the aviation sector.
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