Atiku donates N10m to victims of windstorm disaster in Bauchi

FORMER Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant in the 2019 general elections, Atiku Abubakar has donated the sum of N10m to the victims of the recent windstorm that wrecked havoc in Bauchi.

Atiku Abubakar announced the donation Monday when he paid a sympathy visit to the Emir of Bauchi, Rilwan Suleiman Adamu in his palace to commiserate with the people and government of the state over the recent disaster.

The former Vice President said that he had planned to visit the state twice, during the death of late Senator Ali Wakili and the 40th anniversary of the Emir of Ningi, but he could not due to circumstances beyond his immediate control.

He further stated that his visit to commiserate with the people of Bauchi was almost truncated because he had problems with the plane that was to bring him to Bauchi.

He, however, said that “I am happy that I am able to make the visit today to Bauchi because I am determined to come here to sympathize with you over the unfortunate disaster.”

“I pray for the repose of the souls of the dead and those who lost their properties. I came with N10m for the victims and I pray for God to forestall such occurrence in the future,” he prayed.

In his response, the Emir of Bauchi, Rilwanu Suleimanu Adamu thanked the former Vice President for the visit saying that the gesture was a demonstration of his love to the people of the state.

The traditional ruler stated that even though Abubakar Atiku was unable to come on the two previous occasions that he had planned to visit the state, the Emirate always receives his goodwill messages.

He said, “we deeply appreciate your support and love of the people of Bauchi. All we can say is that the windstorm and the fire that engulfed the market in Azare are trials from God and we pray that such will not happen again.”

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The Monarch then assured the former Vice President that the money will get to the victims through the committee set up by the state government.

In his vote of thanks, the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Hamza Akoshi Akuyam thanked the Vice President and members of his entourage for the visit saying the gesture was timely.

The Vice President and his entourage also proceeded to Azare to commiserate with the people over the fire incident that destroyed over 1,000 shops in the main Azare market.

It would be recalled that less than 24 hours of the windstorm incident in Bauchi on Saturday, 23 of this month, fire gutted over 3/4 of Azare marker which is the second largest city after Bauchi destroying over 1.000 shops in the market while goods worth billions of Naira were also lost.