COMFORT EMMANSON, IBOM AIR AND NIGERIA’S CULTURE OF SUPPORTING EVIL—Our Problems are Far from Solution If WE Reward Unruliness in Public Spaces

Nwankwo T. Nwaezeigwe, PhD                                                                                                           August 15, 2025

I read a news report from the Guardian newspaper issue of August 14, 2025 titled, “Delta Governor’s aide offers freed Ibom Air passenger N500, 000 monthly pay”, and it bordered me not because one man who calls himself Ossai Success made such a moronic pledge, but because the said Ossai Success is the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Delta State Governor, and that such salary package to Miss Comfort Emmanson would be coming from the coffers of the Delta State Government. If I were the Governor of Delta State Mr. Ossai Success deserves to be fired immediately.

How many indigenes of Delta State, especially from his Local Government Area have Mr. Ossai Success rewarded with even less paying employments for being of good behavior in public spaces? What Ossai Success is telling us is that the current Delta State Government is a supporter of unruly public behavior and rewarder of gross insubordination.

Such action is totally against the ethics of responsible governance and should not be permitted by the Delta State Governor. If Mr. Ossai Success has any reason for proposing such a vile package for unruly behavior in public outside what he saw in the torn blouse, then he should tell us,  and not to involve the resources of Delta State.

Just about twenty-four hours ago, somebody attempted to chastise me for being on the side of the Ibom Air Hostess who was initially harassed by the recalcitrant passenger called Comfort Emmanson for carrying out her lawful duty as an Air Hostess, in line with extant aviation regulations. It was to me like, what bullshit was the man talking about? My response was simply, if I were the Ibom Air Hostess I would have taken the same action or even more.

The aircraft crew has a cogent reason related to the safety of the aircraft and by extension the passengers for requesting passengers to switch off their telephone handsets. Such instructions often last for few minutes during take-off and are reversed once the aircraft stabilizes on air. There are only two pre-takeoff instructions in aircraft which are just for a short while—switch off your telephone handsets and fasten your seat belts. Why can’t a sane human being obey these instructions which are predicated on her safety?

Miss Comfort Emmanson refused to put off her handset as instructed by the crew and when confronted she insisted on keeping her phone on because of the video she was editing, claiming that it was on airplane mode. Does airplane mode mean switch-off? The question is between the video she was editing and the collective safety of the aircraft and passengers, which is of paramount importance?

The Air Hostess did the right thing by smashing her handset on the floor of the aircraft for the safety of the aircraft and passengers; and I will not stop supporting her action. The Air Hostess is not a bus conductor or bar waitress whose orders could be treated with ignominy by any vagabond on two legs. Every action she takes is in conformity with the safety of the aircraft and passengers. She even faces more risks than the passengers because she lives much of her life in flight.

So Miss Comfort Emmansion should be condemned by every right thinking and morally upright Nigerian, and not to convert abject public insubordination to indecent heroism. Was it heroism for what?  Was it heroism for striking an Air Hostess on her duty post for enforcing lawful instructions?

I saw her tore her blouse with her hands as she was descending from the aircraft consequently exposing her bubs to elicit undue public sympathy. I am happy this happened between the same Efik/Ibibio ethnic group, otherwise some vicious elements in Nigerian society could have brought in vile ethnic bigotry into the whole fiasco.

The Book of 1 Samuel 15:23 tells us, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” This was simply what Miss Comfort Emmanson did in the public space in the context of the moral tenets of Christianity. Positive civil or human rights activism must be constructed on the thoroughfares of truth, fairness and justice, woven in dignified self-discipline.

Civil or Human Rights activism does not mean opposition to anything Government, establishment or corporate, but on the principles of justice, fairness and equity without social, economic or political boundary. It is unfortunate that those who condemn the Government for the ensuing sufferings in the nation are the same people encouraging criminality in the name civil rights support. You criticize an offering to a deity, yet dance to the glory of the same deity. How can any Nigerian in his or her right mindset support the like of Comfort Emmanson for a life-threatening disobedience?

Lawyers tell us that those who seek equity must come with clean hands. The masses of the Nigerian nation cannot expect equity from the political class if they continue to dance to the sabada tune of the evil maiden from Calabar Creeks. If somebody like Comfort Emmanson could be catapulted to the status of national fame with multiple gifts showered on her for a clear act of gross insubordination that threatened the safety of human lives, then what are we talking about in our quest to put Nigeria right? It simply means evil pays and should be rewarded.

How then can we say that evil does not pay in Nigeria, when we hopelessly reward evil and treat evil-doers as heroes and heroines? How do we expect Nigeria to be saved from the pangs of the current sufferings in Nigeria if we take it as a form of patriotic duty to support and extol evil-doers? When shall Nigerians collectively stand up against whatever is considered evil against public interest whether by the agents of Government or individuals?

This is one of the fundamental militating factors against the collective efforts of the likes of us struggling to put Nigeria on her rightful moral and political terrains—masses who are acculturated to cowardly untruthfulness as much as the same leaders they complain against. Indeed, this can only happen in Nigeria, where leaders and citizens take disobedience of the laws as a pride of power and authority; where people struggle to disobey the law instead of struggling to obey the same law.

This cannot happen in my present country of residence—Republic of the Philippines. Here it is a different scenario altogether, because among the people poverty is not an excuse for criminality, and patriotism rests on the mutual trust and responsibility to the State between the political class and the masses. Everybody from the President down to the beggar on the streets knows that any infraction of the law will land him to the Prison.

Indeed, I have always considered my current exile in Republic of the Philippines more as a training ground for uncommon patriotism, morally conscious political leadership and, socially compliant citizenry, than the quest for the security of my life which is indeed my reason for being there.

The Republic of Philippines is a Christian nation, yet not as religious as Nigeria. The Republic of the Philippines cannot be considered richer in both human and natural resources than Nigeria, yet there is an air of regulated prudence driven by law in the management of the nation’s scarce resources by the political class for the mutual benefit of both the rich and the poor. The Republic of Philippines in spite of her obvious limited economic resources operates a socially ordered society under a disciplined morally regulated political leadership.

The first time I was referred by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for financial assistance I was shocked to see the number of people seeking various kinds of financial support from the Government—health, accommodation, school fees and even burial support for dead relatives. My level of amazement even nearly cost me my allowance because it elicited suspicion from the officials. This is outside such social support outlets at the Provincial, City and Barangay levels.

Once you’re 60 years you automatically become a senior citizen, which goes with numerous benefits. The front or outer seats of public buses are reserved for senior citizens and people with disabilities (PWDs), including pregnant women and those with little kids. Public transportation in this case means privately owned, since Government does not operate public transportation except Metro-lines.

There are equally cities like Quezon City where there are free bus transportations run by Local administrative authorities. The first time I entered the bus and wanted to pay, I used told it was free. I did not believe my experience until I returned in with same bus. Who says Nigeria has no resources to operate such scheme? From banks to supermarkets to bus ticketing stations, where there is queue, there is always a priority line reserved for senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women and nursing mothers. Senior citizens and PWDs are equally entitled to twenty percent rebate on domestic air travels.

Their local individually-operated public bus system known as Jeepney has no conductor. A passenger enters the bus and immediately fulfills his obligation of paying his fare to the driver. The driver in turn hands the passenger his change where necessary. There is no question of not having change. Nigeria is the only nation that does not operate coins today in the whole world, and sellers would audaciously tell you that they don’t have change to give you for the article you purchased.

Senior citizens and PWDs not only pay 20 percent less in public transportation fare but are entitled to the same discount for purchases made in supermarkets. There is also the Government-operated PhilHealth Insurance Company that affords free and subsidized health care financial support to citizens.

Every December Barangays which are equivalent to Nigeria’s electoral Wards dish out many packages from financial to provisions to senior citizens and PWDs. Now tell me why even the poor among them will not be proud to be a Filipino citizen? Tell me why Nigeria cannot afford such rudimentary level social services with all her resources?

The Philippines Police will never ask a foreigner for his identity unless he commits offence. Even the Immigration Bureau has no business hunting for foreigners whose papers are expired unless such a person falls into trouble that would warrant Police or Immigration intervention. The smart outfit appearance of the Police and their courtly approach alone makes the profession attractive to the unwilling. A single call to the Police brings then to your doorsteps in minutes.

 This is unlike the case of Nigeria where the first act of a Policeman is to be criminally oriented in every action he takes on behalf of the citizens, discourteous in human relations, gangrenous bully mentality and oppressive arrogance in carriage. Smartness of members of the Nigerian Police Force ended with the British Colonial era. I have never seen a Nigerian Policeman smartly dressed with a well-fitted uniform. It is either it is dirty, ruffled or over-sized.

Before the emergence of the now dreaded heinous Muslim Fulani bandits and kidnappers, confronting an armed robber on Nigerian highway appears safer than confronting a criminally minded Nigerian Police man. The reason is that if you are dealing with an armed robber you know what he wants, and in case you killed, it will be reported as such.

But a Nigerian Policeman can rob you and kill you and goes ahead to accuse you in death of being an armed robber, drug-pusher or arms dealer. You are dead and will not defend yourself and people who once knew you will be fed with a different account of your life.

The masses of the Nigerian nation have the task of leading by example through collective approach in defending justice and fairness, beginning with the individual citizens. A crime is a crime, whether committed by the Government against the people or the people against the Government or any constituted authority.

The idea that because I am opposed to the present Federal Government I should support any crime committed by any individual against any constituted authority, even if such crime is against public interest does not hold. Miss Comfort Emmanson committed the crime of disobedience and insubordination against the authorities of Ibom Air and should be condemned for it.

The Air Hostess who confronted her did so in the best interest of the safety of the passengers including Comfort Emmanson herself. Thus, those supporting Emmanson are not only ludicrous human beings but accomplices in the same crime.

Dr. Nwankwo T. Nwaezeigwe is the Odogwu Ibusa & President, International Coalition against Christian Genocide in Nigeria (ICAC-GEN). He was formerly Director, Centre for Igbo Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He lives in exile in Manila, Republic of the Philippines.

Email: Nwaezeigwe.Genocideafrica@gmail.com