By Ebunoluwa Sessou

Following the statement by the Aviation Minister, Mr Festus Keyamo on the release of Comfort Bob, the Ibom Air passenger from Kirikiri Prison and the reduction of the six-month ‘no fly’ ban placed on fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde a.ka. Kwam-1 to one month, a non-governmental organisation, Spaces for Change, has said that the hasty reaction has further put Nigerian government in a bad light.

Speaking with Vanguard, the Executive Director of Spaces for Change, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri said, such hasty reaction will further weaken the relevant institutions that are supposed to be handling issues relating to the society.

According to Ibezim-Ohaeri, the errors committed by the concerned parties could be avoided with proper investigation.

“I think, that there were lots of hasty reactions. The government reacted so hastily, without necessarily looking at the facts. So, while we appreciate the reversals that have been made, they ought not to have been made in the first place, because a government statement carries a lot of weight.

“When the government says you have been placed on a life ban, it is a statement that carries a lot of weight, and it is not a statement that should have been made in a hurry. So, we can see all of that flow of decisions, reactions, almost immediately, less than 24 hours after the event, looking like almost overlooking our institutions.

“We have institutions that are responsible for looking into those sorts of infrastructures.

“We have the NCAA, our courts, our regulatory bodies. All those institutions were bypassed and we just made hasty decisions.

“Everything happened under 24 hours, and we are wondering when our country became so inefficient that you can reach broad conclusions almost automatically. So, the reversals that have been made is a reflection of that hasty judgment at the initial level, because they have not had a chance to pause, to reflect, and look back and saw that there were several fault lines on both parts, which an independent investigation naturally would have reviewed.

“So, it is putting our government in bad light. As a government that does not follow its own due process requirement, this simply resorted to immoral and hasty decisions.

“The long and short of it is those substantial steps have been taken to see what extent those issues will be addressed.

“One thing, I would mention is the importance of the civic space. And when we are always saying the civic space must be opened, the public outrage helped in restoring order in the system.

“So, you saw how a lot of citizens rose up on the internet, taking sides, analyzing the issues, some speaking on the defense of the airlines, some speaking in defense of the lady.

“There were talks about decency, protocols, emotional intelligence. A lot of people, members of the public intervened, and that public intervention was what helped the government to have this reset.

“So, if there is anybody that should be praised, it is the Nigerian public. And that emphasizes why we have been clamoring for an open society, for an open civic space, where citizens can freely speak, because the ability of citizens to freely speak will ensure that the right person does not go punished”, she said.