Fuji music legend Wasiu Ayinde, better known by his stage name K1 De Ultimate, has been harshly criticized by Peter Esele, the former president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria, for the recent incident in which he allegedly disregarded airport rules.
Esele remarked that K1’s actions were inappropriate for a well-known public personality and respected artist.
After the episode went viral, Esele responded by saying that K1’s behavior was a symptom of a larger social problem.
He emphasized that the repercussions of this illegality go beyond slights and are a metaphor for the greater national issue of people being protected from responsibility by those in positions of authority.
Criticizing the culture of impunity that permeates the country, Esele said, “It is a metaphor for a nation where power exempts one from consequence.”
The incident at the airport’s history
In the incident, which took place on ValueJet Airlines flight VK 201 from Abuja to Lagos, K1 De Ultimate was denied access to the aircraft after trying to bring a flask with more liquid than the allowed 100 milliters.
K1 is accused of refusing to abide by the airline’s security rules in spite of numerous demands.
In a widely shared video of the event, K1 was seen trying to stop the plane from taxiing by standing in front of it.
When K1 allegedly opened the flask and spilled its contents on Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and other passengers in the vicinity, the airline claims that his disregard for the regulations intensified.
Esele Criticizes Laws’ Selective Enforcement
Esele responded by criticizing Nigeria’s selective enforcement culture, stating, “Aviation laws are clear; liquids over 100ml are prohibited unless medically necessary and certified.” Enforcement, however, gives in to pressure.
Noting the disdain for rules that affect regular people, he compared this selective justice to larger social trends.
The culture of impunity is top-down, he continued, “from government officials using sirens to bully their way through traffic to careless drivers ignoring zebra crossings.”
Criticizing the absence of accountability, Esele posed the question, “Is this the legacy we wish to leave? Is justice to be replaced by apologies? When the weak are the only ones subject to the law, what happens?
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Nigerians, the activist added, should demand better and restore the country’s civic education system.
Insisting that the law protect everyone equally, empowering institutions to act fearlessly, and rebuilding civic education are all things he stated.
He also emphasized the value of abiding by the law and the norms, saying that everyone, regardless of status, must be held responsible for their acts in order for society to work.
Esele’s reaction to the incident has resulted in an indefinite travel ban for K1 by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which will be in place until the conclusion of the flight incident investigation.
According to reports, Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, ordered the NCAA to put K1 on a six-month no-fly list on August 7 until the complete investigation was being conducted.
Esele has, however, voiced shock at the absence of prompt judicial repercussions for K1’s conduct, drawing a comparison between the treatment of a normal person and the current state of affairs.
“This behavior would result in immediate legal repercussions in a healthy society. “In ours, it prompted a tepid apology, probably because cameras were rolling,” he said, implying that K1 probably wouldn’t have been held accountable.
