What would have been termed a major air disaster was averted yesterday when President Goodluck Jonathan and some of his aides were stranded for hours at the Minna airport as a presidential jet that was supposed to convey him and others from Minna developed a technical fault, while they were aboard.
The presidential jet, Nigerian Air Force 001 (5N-FGT), had earlier conveyed Jonathan to Minna for the -Peoples Democratic Party’s North-Central rally which held at the Trade Fair Centre, Minna.
It was gathered that at the end of the rally, the President had returned to the Minna airport with his entourage to return to Abuja enroute Sokotoo when the drama ensued.
Surprisingly, several minutes after the president had bade the people of the state farewell, and the door of the aircraft was shut, the aircraft refused to move.
Punch reports that after several 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.
While the drama lasted, Vice-President Namadi Sambo; President of the Senate, David Mark; all PDP governors, members of the National Assembly and members of the Federal Executive Council were watching helpelsly under the blazzing sun.
When their efforts to salvage the situation became fruitless, 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.
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