Ex-president Buhari visits Borno, Jigawa over floods, tanker explosion

Former President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday undertook visits to two states of Borno and Jigawa to commiserate with the governments and their people, following the devastating floods that ravaged Borno and the deadly petroleum tanker explosion in Jigawa that claimed nearly 200 lives, all of which happened while he was away from the country.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, the former president lamented the damage, destruction, and losses of life that attended the worst floods in many decades in Borno state, ascribing the catastrophic incident to destructive weather due to climate change.

Buhari while recalling his days as the military Governor of the North-Eastern state, said: “We engaged in prayers for rain. Now, we are having the irony of the state being overwhelmed by rain.”

He commended the efforts of the state and federal governments in the joint efforts to restore normalcy in the lives of the people, saying that having sent a delegation to condole the situation while he was away, he still felt unsatisfied with the gesture, necessitating the urge to make the trip to see things and personally commiserate with the state.

The state governor, Professor Umara Babagana Zulum and the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garba Al Amin El-Kanemi thanked the former president for the “historic visit,” saying that the state would never forget the president who had visited more than any other, and one “who has done so much and so well for Nigeria and Borno state in particular.

“Without the 85 megawatts captive power plant you built here, Maiduguri would have continued in darkness. You gave us the North-east Development Commission, a military university, a federal polytechnic, and a college of education and ensured the gradual return of peace after years of Boko Haram terrorism,” stated the Governor.

In Dutse, the Jigawa state, the acting governor, Engineer Aminu Usman led the former president to the Rasheed Shekoni University Teaching Hospital where he saw the victims of the fire explosion still on admission.

Muhammadu Buhari joined in prayers for the repose of the 180 plus so far dead, from the fire, and the quick recovery of those who are still on admission in hospitals.

The acting governor thanked the former president for the visit and for the cash donation to the victims of the disaster.