Shettima’s Trip To Samoa For Commonwealth Meeting Cancelled Over Damaged Aircraft’s Windscreen
By Bala Salihu Dawakin kudu October 25, 2024
Vice President Kashim Shettima’s trip to the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa has been cancelled after an incident at JFK Airport in New York, where his plane was damaged by a foreign object, which hit and cracked the cockpit windscreen.
This was confirmed in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Bayo Onanuga. In response, President Bola Tinubu approved a ministerial delegation, led by Environment Minister Balarabe Lawal, to represent Nigeria at the summit in Shettima’s stead.
Shettima had been scheduled to meet with global leaders, including King Charles, and discuss topics centered on resilience and economic opportunities under the theme, “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth.” The summit also features discussions on appointing a new Commonwealth Secretary-General and strategies to harness the “Commonwealth Advantage” for digital and economic connectivity.
In light of this, Vice President Shettima and Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar have now returned to Nigeria. This follows another instance in May when Shettima had to return mid-flight due to a technical issue on a scheduled trip to the US-Africa Business Summit.
