The presidency says the comment by the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) on the cancellation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to Zamfara
indicates “mischief”.
President Muhammadu Buhari was scheduled to visit Zamfara on
January 27 to discuss insecurity in the state and also commiserate with the
people over the recent attacks in Anka and Bukkuyum LGAs.
However, while arrangements were in place to welcome him,
Bello Matawalle, Zamfara governor, announced that the president would have to
reschedule the visit over poor visibility for flying.
Speaking in a televised broadcast to Zamfara residents on
the same day, Buhari expressed sadness over being unable to make it to the
state, saying he was “pained”.
Reacting to the development, the PDP said Buhari cancelled
the trip over the fear of being attacked, adding that the president could have
travelled by road.
Responding in a statement issued on Sunday by Garba Shehu,
presidential spokesman, the presidency said the criticism of Buhari by the PDP
shows the party doesn’t understand presidential movements despite being in
power for 16 years.
“As briefly explained by the president in a special
broadcast to the people of the state, the sudden deterioration of the weather
was the sole and only reason for the cancellation of the visit,” the statement
reads.
“It is not unusual for flights to get cancelled when there
is bad weather, whether this is arising from wind or rainstorm, fog or haze as
we had it on Thursday over much of the northern towns including Gusau, capital
of Zamfara State.
“Many of these cities are known to suffer from low
visibility during the harmattan season as we are now in.
“A kilometre of visibility is usually a standard landing
minimum requirement but in the case of Gusau on the day in question, this
minimum requirement of 1,000 meter was down, fluctuating between 300-400
meters.
“Clearly, this was unsafe in the absence of precise
instrument approaches that provide guidance for the pilots. The flights into
Gusau were, in view of this, cancelled.
“Criticism of the President, in particular the one by the
opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for not proceeding with the journey,
Sokoto-Gusau by road, a distance of about 200 kilometres shows, either a lack
of understanding of presidential movements especially for a party that held
that office for sixteen years, or an act that smacks of mischief. Whatever be
the case, there must be a limit to trivialisation.
“All over the world, Commanders-in-Chief, serving or even
those that have left office cannot hop into a car and go anywhere they want, at
any time of the day. In the United States for instance, a law going as far back
as 1958 prevents past Presidents from traveling on public roads without assured
security (how much more of serving Presidents).
“When roads are closed for presidential movements here and
elsewhere, consideration is also given to the safety of other road users, not
just that of the President or even Governor.
“The statement on the issue by the PDP attacking the
President for not making it to Gusau without this being planned ahead of the
journey is shameful and disgraceful for a party that held the presidency of the
country in the past. What is their own record?
“It is sad for the
country that the bankruptcy of issues has forced the PDP, so-called leading
opposition party, to hang on to life by only telling lies. And their caravan of
falsehood has moved even more speedily following the inauguration of their
not-so-new national executive at the end of last year.
“It is equally important that local political actors who
have seized upon the cancellation of the visit to describe it as a victory for
this or that faction of the party, accompanied by songs, lyrics and videos to
know that their joy is a short lived one. As he promised in that broadcast, the
visit to Gusau by the President is only a matter of time.
“Given the right
conditions of the weather and all other things, he will return, and in time to
accomplish his mission.”
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