THE ongoing criticism trailing the plan to build a helipad for President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State, to ease his movement anytime he wants to visit his home town may not be a big deal after all.
This became obvious on Wednesday in the reaction of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Sheu, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on telephone.
According to Sheu, the idea of building a helipad for President Buhari would not be the first of its kind in the countr.
Going down the memory lane, Sheu cited how past presidents, including Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr Goodluck Jonathan, enjoyed similar facilities during their administrations.
Sheu who wondered why the issue was generating criticism, adding that constructing helipad for the president “is not a big project, since helicopter can land on a small space.”
According to him, “this is not the first time a helipad is being built for a president. President Obasanjo built a helipad in his Hiltop mansion in Abeokuta Ogun State. We are talking about a helipad and not an airport, even a helicopter can land on a verandah. We are talking about Nigerian president.”
Since the plan by the Federal Government to build a helipad in Daura had been made public, many Nigerians had taken to the social media to express their feelings, with some saying it was ill-timed.
President Buhari travels by road to Daura from Katsina airport, which is said to have necessitated building the helipad to help his trips to his home town.
-Tribune
