‘We witnessed turbulence but pilots weathered the storm’, Aisha Buhari explains 

‘Amid media reports that she escaped a near-air disaster while returning from the United Arab Emirates, First Lady, Aisha Buhari says their aircraft ‘witnessed a turbulence but the pilots were able to weather the storm’.

The wife of the President, returned to the country on Saturday from Dubai where she went to treat a severe neck pain.

She made the explanations in series of tweets on Saturday evening.

Mrs. Buhari, who returned on a Presidential jet, wrote “I want to use this opportunity to thank all Nigerians for their prayers and well wishes while I was away for medical treatment. I am well now and fully recovered and had since returned back home, Nigeria.
“On our way back, the Nigerian Air Force flight encountered a violent clear air turbulence which was navigated safely and professionally by the captain and crew of the flight.

“I want to commend and appreciate the courage and professionalism of the captain and his crew, the wonderful gallant service men and women of the entire Nigerian Air Force for their dedication to duty and the quality of maintenance of its fleet.”

The President’s wife also drummed support for Nigeria’s health care sector, by asking private health personnel to take advantage of the N100bn fund being disbursed by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
She said this would help in reviving the health sector and reducing medical tourism.

“I recall hosting the private health care providers earlier in the year and we had a very productive engagement where the issue of building the capacity of Nigeria health sector was the major focus, and funding was discovered to be the major challenge.

“I, therefore, call on the healthcare providers to take the advantage of the Federal Government’s initiative through the Central Bank of Nigeria guidelines for the operation of N100bn credit support for the health care sector as was released recently contained in a circular dated March 25, 2020, to the commercial banks.

“This will no doubt help in building and expanding the capacity of the Nigerian health sector and ultimately reduce medical trips and tourism outside the country. Once again, I thank our frontline workers and all Nigerians for their steadfastness as we navigate the challenges facing the entire world.”