By Ebube Bruno
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – In a world where “anything goes,” we celebrate the very people we’d warn our children not to imitate. As long as they’ve been on TV and are popular, we make them ambassadors. Forget whether their character is brand-worthy; controversy becomes the selling point.
So, in that jaye-jaye/pleasure first universe, imagine that the infamous Hushpopi becomes the face of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The rumour of Naira Marley being an ambassador of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) becomes true. Broadcast stations will not have to censor his songs anymore because his character would be courted by the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON)
So when a former House of Representatives member, Hon. Dachung Bagos, warned that the ambassadorial role bestowed on Kwam 1 would “encourage anybody to misbehave,” it wasn’t just political talk. If terrorists and marauders in Benue, Plateau, and elsewhere become role models, our aviation managers would have shown them how it’s done.
Of course, the sky is big enough for all birds — the gentle, the garrulous, the ignorant, and the distinguished. K1 De Ultimate doesn’t need to be thrown out with the bathwater. He’s a musical legend and I love his music.
He could have taken that controversy, dropped another banger, and we’d still sing along. His face already rules the streets. He’s a god on the road: on molues, kekes, and danfos. But putting it on aircraft tails, right after he was accused of trying to hold passengers and crew hostage? That’s like importing the “Bolekaja: come let’s fight” culture of hooligan-infected motor parks to our aviation runways.
We should forgive those who disobey and are remorseful. After we have condemned their actions, we ought to give them a second chance at redemption. But, let’s not reward bad behaviour.
If we continue this way, the fate that befell the “criminal” enterprise packaged as Nigeria Air will befall most of the sector and indeed our corporate and national image.
And just when you think it’s a one-off, here comes Episode Two. One week later, Miss Comfort Emmanson made headlines after a fracas with Ibom Air crew. The images were bad.
If you listen to the first hand testimony delivered on Channels Television by David Ogebe a lawyer and co-passenger, you’ll agree Comfort may deserve an apology for how she was treated, but she also owes one for the verbal arsenal and violent behaviour she unleashed. That is not the template for who we want to be.
When the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) intervened in her case, I think Minister Festus Keyamo and his advisers misunderstood what they should do to restore her “dignity of person” which was faulted on camera.
They skipped the legal route entirely. No procedural, fair, or just resolution — just a photo-op.
She has already received offers from Ossai Ovie Success, a Delta State government official, who offered her substantial financial support and opportunities following her release from prison. This is part of a broader public sympathy campaign that hasn’t ceased coming.
But for the Aviation Minister to tweet that she’s been considered by airline operators to potentially serve as an ambassador “for proper passenger conduct”, is an affront to rule obeying passengers.
The dictionary defines an ambassador in the promotional or representational sense as someone who serves as a spokesperson, advocate, or public face for a brand, organisation, cause, or concept.
In most serious industries, the choice of an ambassador is rarely a casual gesture. It is guided by criteria such as:
Reputation and public image perception where the individual must be widely regarded as responsible, respectful, and credible. Past controversies, especially those involving public misconduct, are usually a red flag.
The ambassador’s personal conduct, lifestyle, and public messaging should align with the organisation’s safety, service, and ethical standards, such that his or her image will not embarrass the organisation in international or domestic circles.
Organisations usually run background checks to ensure that the partnership won’t lead to public backlash or reputational crises.
Airlines and aviation authorities in countries with stricter PR protocols typically avoid appointing individuals with recent public disputes with their staff to represent them.
In places like the UK, Canada, Singapore, or the UAE, if the individuals were still considered, the narration is carefully managed.
The industry would likely require a cooling-off period before such appointments, if ever. And this is possibly after they had undergone aviation safety advocacy work.
Such appointments would be usually tied to constructive reform messaging. For example, “This person had a misunderstanding but is now championing crew-passenger harmony.” The narrative would be one of reform, not reward.
By naming K1 De Ultimate, and possibly Comfort Emmanson as ambassadors so soon after public clashes with airline crews, our aviation managers have:
- Risked the perception of endorsing misconduct
- Undermined staff morale
- Missed a teaching moment to reinforce safety and respect in the skies
To borrow Laolu Akande’s words, calling Kwam 1 “the face of the best we expect our people to be” is the poorest way to inspire a nation. Aviation safety depends on absolute trust in crew authority. Celebrating those who challenge it sends the opposite message.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu should worry about appointing ambassadors to our foreign missions before our voice disappears entirely in global fora. If money’s tight, perhaps Ambassadors Kwam 1 and Kwam 2 can start a “Go-Fund-Ambassadors” campaign.
Because in this anything-goes Nigeria, the road to becoming an ambassador is simple: misbehave publicly, trend online, and wait for the invitation letter.
