President Buhari expresses regret as bad weather disrupts trip to Bauchi; ‘No one can force the weather to be clear’ – Gov. Abubakar

From: Ruth David, Bauchi

President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Bauchi scheduled to take place December 29 has been postponed arising from the prevailing weather conditions in the country.

A statement by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) said that “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 (Thursday, December 29,2016), 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 at 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 further that “in cancelling the visit to the state, President Buhari expressed regret over the disruption caused by the bad weather.”

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. He said he also intended to thank the people for their relentless support in all his political undertakings.

“We make our plans, God makes His own plans,” said the President.

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

The President communicated the adverse weather situation on phone directly to Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar in the presence of the state’s Deputy Governor, Engineer Nuhu Gidado, Speaker Bauchi state House of Assembly, Kawuwa Shehu Damuna, Secretary to the State Government, State Executive Council members and members of the State House of Assembly at Government House.

In a state wide broadcast, thereafter, Governor Abubakar thanked the people of the state who were ready to receive the President before the cancellation of the trip, appealing to them to turn up en mass whenever the President is to visit the state.

Reacting on why the two planned visits to the state have all been aborted, he said the telephone message was clear and that “no one can compel the President and no one can force the weather to be clear.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, in his reaction, said the Federal Government is planning to upgrade the Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), at the country’s major airports, to ensure that they are working better. This is with a view to minimizing the sort of flight disruptions that have featured every harmattan season.