From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Presidency has described as mischievous, shameful and disgraceful the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) statement that President Muhammadu Buhari cancelled his trip to Zamfara over the fear of being attacked by terrorists and that he should have gone by road.
Buhari, who was in Sokoto last Thursday to inaugurate some projects, was billed to proceed to Zamfara to discuss insecurity in the state and also to commiserate with the people over the recent attacks in Anka and Bukkuyum LGAs.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the PDP’s suggestion that Buhari should have proceeded on the journey to 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 16 years.
“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,” he said.
Shehu said with visibility fluctuating between 300-400 meters down from the minimum requirement of 1,000, it was clearly unsafe in the absence of precise instrument approaches that provide guidance for the pilots for the president to fly into the state.
“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.”