Buhari blames ‘uncooperative weather’ for cancelled Bauchi trip

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has blamed his inability to meet up with scheduled programme in Bauchi State, on Thursday, on bad weather.

He was billed to be in the state to commission a new military facility, as well as some projects executed by the state government.

But a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in Abuja, said the president regretted his inability to make the journey as a result of ‘uncooperative weather.’

The statement read: “Uncooperative weather which has been the bane of air travel in the current harmattan season, leading to the delay and cancellation of flights, reared its head in Abuja Airport this morning, preventing the take-off of the president’s plane for the trip to Bauchi.

“Technical information received from the weather station showed that visibility as of this morning was 600 meters, 200 metres short of the 800 metres minimally required for a safe aircraft take-off.

“According to the information available, the visibility was expected to drop to 300 metres before improving to permissible limit later in the day.

“The commander of the Presidential Air Fleet, Air Commodore Hassan Abubakar, said that the Presidential Aircraft was in perfect condition, the weather in Bauchi was alright, but that the problem was in Abuja.”

The statement said in cancelling the visit to the state, President Buhari expressed regret over the disruption caused by the bad weather.

It added: “In a recorded audio and video message, he said he looked forward to the visit in the course of which he was to commission an Air Force medical facility and a number of other projects by the state government.”

The statement disclosed that the president also intended to thank the people for their relentless support in all his political undertakings.

“We make our plans, God makes His own plans,” it quoted the president as saying.

President Buhari thanked the government and people of Bauchi State and the Nigerian Air Force for the studious and elaborate preparations made to receive him, and assured that he was going to visit the state at a more auspicious time.

According to the statement, the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, in his reaction, said the Federal Government was planning to upgrade the Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), at the country’s major airports, to ensure that they were working better.

“This is with a view to minimising the sort of flight disruptions that have featured every harmattan season,’’ it added.

According to a statement issued by the Press Secretary to the Plateau State governor, Mohammed Abubakar, Abubakar al –Sadique, President Buhari gave this reason for the cancellation of the state visit in an address recorded and relayed to the state.

In address to the state, Governor Mohammed Abubakar said “though this important visit of Mr President has been cancelled, I am confident that by the time he comes, there will be more projects for him to commission in spite of paucity of resources in government coffers.”

The governor thanked the people of Bauchi State for showing support to all policies, projects and programmes of the Buhari administration and that of state under his watch.

Some of the projects the president was expected to commission were roads and other infrastructure executed by the administration of Governor Abubakar, in addition to the hospital constructed by the Nigerian Air Force.

It will be recalled that the Air Force base was constructed this with the support of the Bauchi State government which provided the land and compensation to the original landowners.