…As PDP tells Buhari: We built Port Harcourt Airport new terminal***

Nigerian carrier, Air Peace has disclosed that its Lagos-Owerri Flight 7252 returned to base shortly after take off at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos on Thursday due to a change in cabin pressure.

Mr Chris Iwarah, Corporate Communications Manager, Air Peace, made the confirmation in a statement issued On Friday in Lagos.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that an airline is said to ‘return to base’ (where it took off) when there is a noticeable fault during flight.

Iwarah said: “We confirm that Air Peace Lagos-Owerri Flight 7252 on Thursday returned to base after our crew observed that there was a change in cabin pressure.

“In line with our standard operating procedure, the captain-in-command descended to a level where it would be comfortable for our valued guests, before making a return to base in line with global best practices in the aviation industry.”

According to him, upon safely landing in Lagos, the passengers on board, who had remained calm, were quickly transferred to an alternative aircraft and flown to Owerri.

He added that the airline regrets the inconvenience and discomfort caused its guests on board the flight.

Iwarah said: “We wish to assure members of the public that the incident had nothing whatsoever to do with the engines of the aircraft nor was it a life-threatening situation.

“The aircraft has since been thoroughly checked and confirmed serviceable. The aircraft went back into operations in less than an hour after going for maintenance checks.

“Air Peace is renowned for its quality maintenance reputation and we assure members of the flying public that we will continue to sustain the high standards of our flight operations and professionalism to guarantee the safety of our valued guests and crew.”

In the meantime, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari for allegedly trying to claim credit for the Port Harcourt Airport Terminal, Rivers State, saying it is public knowledge that the project was conceptualised and financed by its administration.

The PDP said President Buhari’s alleged theatrical commissioning of the terminal built by the PDP administration was another failed media stunt to create a false impression that President “is

performing, even when he made no contribution whatsoever towards the execution of the project.”

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, that Nigerians were thoroughly amused when President Buhari’s handlers brought him to Port Harcourt, for the first time since his inauguration in 2015, only to orchestrate what he called another failed attempt to claim credit for project executed by others.

“If anything, the Buhari administration, in its incompetence, only succeeded in delaying the completion of the project, which was perfected by the PDP, including payments to contractors,” he said.

Ologbondiyan added that it was appalling that after three and half years, a President, who he said is seeking re-election, cannot point to any development project, initiated and executed by his administration in any part of our country.

He said, “Instead, our dear President has been moving around trying to claim credit for projects executed by the PDP, all in a desperate attempt to cover his failures in governance.

“Only recently, President Buhari and his dysfunctional All Progressives Congress, to the chagrin of Nigerians, attempted to claim credit for the Abuja Light Rail Project, even when it was public knowledge that that project was conceptualized and policy-propelled by the PDP.

“We know that President Buhari is eager to stuff up his false performance claims ahead of the election, but doing so with the achievements of others is the height of desperation and deceit, which has already become repugnant to majority of Nigerians and the international community.”

Ologbondiyan, therefore, called on President Buhari’s handlers to use the remaining days of his administration to prepare him to get ready to accept what he called his imminent defeat in 2019.

Additional report from Punch