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.
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 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.
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 studious and elaborate preparations
made to receive him, and assured that he is going to visit the state at a more
auspicious time.
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.
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