The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has announced a series of decisive actions following recent high-profile scandals within the nation’s aviation sector. The directives, which he said were made on “compassionate grounds,†address the incidents involving musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM 1) and passenger Comfort Emmanson.
In a statement posted on his official social media account on Wednesday, Keyamo disclosed that the decisions were the result of extensive consultations with key aviation stakeholders. He noted that “valuable lessons have been learnt by all sides†from the unfortunate events.
For the case involving Comfort Emmanson and Ibom Airline, the minister has instructed the airline to withdraw all criminal charges against her. Keyamo stated that following this directive, police authorities will take immediate steps to facilitate her release from Kirikiri Prisons within the week.
Regarding the incident involving KWAM 1 and ValueJet, the minister has directed the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to reduce the musician’s flight ban to a period of one month.
Additionally, Keyamo addressed the fate of the ValueJet flight crew. He announced that the licenses of Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and co-pilot First Officer Ivan Oloba will be restored after they serve a one-month ban and undergo a mandatory professional re-appraisal.
The minister concluded his statement by emphasizing the government’s commitment to safety and security. “These above decisions were taken by Government and the airline operators purely on COMPASSIONATE grounds as Government will never pander to base sentiments, politically-motivated views or warped legal opinions when clear encroachment of our laws are involved,†he added.
