Goodluck Jonathan Visits Niger State, Presidential Jet Fails to Takeoff [PHOTOS]
On Saturday, President Goodluck Jonathan and some top government officials visited Niger state for a Peoples Democratic Party’s North-Central rally which held at the Trade Fair Centre, Sango in Minna.
Top government officials who accompanied the president, were Vice-President Namadi Sambo; President of the Senate, David Mark; the National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Muazu; Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih; former chairman of the party, Ahmadu Ali; former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, all PDP governors, members of the National Assembly and members of the Federal Executive Council.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is insisting that it has not started campaigning, but the Zonal North East rally in Minna had all the trappings of a campaign event with the president talking about the resolve of the PDP to win all the states in the zone in 2015.
After the rally, there was some drama at Minna airport, as the presidential jet, Nigerian Air Force 001 (5N-FGT) which had earlier conveyed Jonathan to Minna developed a technical fault, while they were aboard.
At the end of the rally, the President returned to the airport in company with top government officials, PDP state governors and party chiefs for a trip to Sokoto, from where he was scheduled to return to Abuja. However, several minutes after Jonathan had bade farewell to those who accompanied him to the airport, and the door of the aircraft was shut, the aircraft failed to move.
After many attempts, crew members and engineers disembarked from the aircraft and made spirited efforts to fix the fault as armed security men took strategic positions around it.
When it became obvious that the fault could not be easily fixed, the commander of the Presidential Air Fleet, Air Vice Marshal Uko Ebong, ordered that a smaller presidential jet, 5N-FGW, which conveyed the Vice-President to the state be brought to fly Jonathan.
Jonathan disembarked from the faulty jet at about 3.30pm and quickly moved to the smaller aircraft. He later left the airport in the smaller aircraft at about 3:35pm, leaving behind some of his co-occupants in the bigger jet.
Sambo also had to join Mark in another smaller presidential jet, 5N-FGV, which had earlier conveyed the Senate President to the state. Senator Barnabas Gemade and a few other dignitaries also joined them.
When asked for what was wrong with the aeroplane, an official of FAAN simply said, "The return engine refused to pick."
Another source who pleaded anonymity, said the hot temperature in the city led to the fault.
"What the commander said was that the high temperature affected the engine of the aircraft," he said.
When asked why the hot weather did not affect the two other presidential jets, the source explained that the Air Force 001 is "more digitalised than others."
The incident occurred despite the fact that in the past four years, at least N48bn has been allocated to the Presidential Air Fleet, a range of 11 luxurious aircraft which are at the disposal of the President.
Photos Credit: Niger State Government
Sources: Codewit World News, The Scoop
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| The Governor Of Niger State Dr Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu Receiving President Goodluck Ebele Johnathan, On His Arrival At The Minna International Airport |
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| President Goodluck Ebele Johnathan, The Governor Of Niger State Dr Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, The Vice President Arc Namadi Sambo And The Senate President, David Mark At The Minna International Airport |
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| The President, Goodluck Ebele Johnathan Being Received By The Members Of The Traditional Council Of Chiefs, At The Minna International Airport. |
At the end of the rally, the President returned to the airport in company with top government officials, PDP state governors and party chiefs for a trip to Sokoto, from where he was scheduled to return to Abuja. However, several minutes after Jonathan had bade farewell to those who accompanied him to the airport, and the door of the aircraft was shut, the aircraft failed to move.
After many attempts, crew members and engineers disembarked from the aircraft and made spirited efforts to fix the fault as armed security men took strategic positions around it.
When it became obvious that the fault could not be easily fixed, the commander of the Presidential Air Fleet, Air Vice Marshal Uko Ebong, ordered that a smaller presidential jet, 5N-FGW, which conveyed the Vice-President to the state be brought to fly Jonathan.
Jonathan disembarked from the faulty jet at about 3.30pm and quickly moved to the smaller aircraft. He later left the airport in the smaller aircraft at about 3:35pm, leaving behind some of his co-occupants in the bigger jet.
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| President Goodluck Jonathan later in Sokoto with Sultan, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III & Gov. Aliyu Wamakko |
When asked for what was wrong with the aeroplane, an official of FAAN simply said, "The return engine refused to pick."
Another source who pleaded anonymity, said the hot temperature in the city led to the fault.
"What the commander said was that the high temperature affected the engine of the aircraft," he said.
When asked why the hot weather did not affect the two other presidential jets, the source explained that the Air Force 001 is "more digitalised than others."
The incident occurred despite the fact that in the past four years, at least N48bn has been allocated to the Presidential Air Fleet, a range of 11 luxurious aircraft which are at the disposal of the President.
Sources: Codewit World News, The Scoop
Goodluck Jonathan Visits Niger State, Presidential Jet Fails to Takeoff [PHOTOS]
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