The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said it will blacklist Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as Kwam1 for six months over unruly behaviour at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport ,Abuja
Director, Public Affairs and Consumer protection, Michael Achimugu, NCAA, stated this on Thursday at the 29th Conference of League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents held at Providence hotel, Ikeja with theme: Financing Aviation in Nigeria: Risks, Opportunities and Prospects .
According to him, aviation rules are global and not a respecter of any passenger.
“As we speak, the passenger is going to be blacklisted for the next six months. Aviation rules are made for everybody, for the protection of everybody and these rules are global. There’s nothing about the rules that antagonise any passenger. So, even for the passenger’s own sake, if you watch those videos, does it speak well of the passenger or the pilot? So, we will do everything we can to get to the root of it.
“Everybody who needs to be punished for sanctions will receive the punishment. So, this brings to the issue that while you can regulate the airlines in terms of cosmetic protection, what they should do for the passengers, it is very difficult to now weigh in the unruly attitude of passengers beyond this case now.
Achimugu added that the the NCAA is writing the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police to take up a court case against the passenger .
He noted that even President Bola Ahmed Tunobu, is a respecter of the law as well as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development who he said submit themselves to every security check at every airport, everywhere in the world.
“No other Nigerian, no other Nigerian is above the law, people will break rules. That’s why the law and law enforcement exists, we have been carrying out massive awareness campaigns, we’ve been educating people, It’s why I’m very present on social media because the awareness is a continuum, however, if it does happen, it is why there’s infrastructure and institutions in place to deal with those kind of scenarios .Would this passenger have disobeyed these laws or anywhere else outside of Nigeria for that matter?
While castigating the pilots for also breaching safety, he said immediate action was taken on the pilots after délibérations among NCAA directors.
“Well, moving on from the passenger, the pilot also knows that there are rules, especially when there are testings for the tamer.There are videos circulating, which are also in the possession of the authority. My question: when you watch those videos, if the engine of that plane was not positioned, what would have happened to Passenger and the ground staff.
“Has the pilot acted in the best possible manner, giving her training? Well, the My DG, Captain Chris Najomo, has spoken with the relevant directors, the CAA, and came to the conclusion that immediate action must be taken..And so, the licenses of the pilot and the First Officer, have been suspended pending the outcome of investigations. What I must assure the general public is that everybody involved in this will be brought to book.”, he said.
