By SaharaReporters, New York
The Presidency has denied that Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State
ever informed President Goodluck Jonathan of a N250m bribe that was
collected by a serving Minister on which Mr. Jonathan refused to act.
According to a statement by presidential spokesman Reuben Abati, the claim by the governor was made in a radio interview.
Mr. Abati described the claim as “an unacceptable and callous attempt
to unjustly impugn the integrity of President Jonathan and cast
aspersions on the seriousness of his Administration’s efforts to curb
corruption.”
He described the claim as an “unscrupulous, reckless and thoughtless
peddling of arrant falsehood” for the purpose of personal and sectional
political gains.
“If, as he claims, Alhaji Lamido has credible information about a
minister receiving the said amount as bribe, he should publicly name the
minister involved without delay and provide evidence to support his
allegation,” the statement said.
“In the event that he is unable to do so, he should be prepared to
offer an unreserved apology to the President and Nigerians for his
unwarranted and unjust effort to denigrate, disparage and malign the
President and the Federal Government.”
The problem with Mr. Jonathan’s denial is that of credibility;
SaharaReporters has reported hundreds of corruption stories about the
government since 2006, most of them since he ascended to the highest
political office and some of them about his Ministers, all of which he
has ignored.
He has also refused to lead by example, famously declaring in
response to popular appeals to publicly declare his assets, “I don’t
give a damn.”
SaharaReporters however challenges Governor Lamido to publicly and
urgently name the Minister in order to test the character of the
president and his claims to “transformation.”
Yesterday, two of Governor Lamido’s sons, Aminu and Mustapha, were
arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over an alleged
N10 billion money-laundering scheme.
Governor Lamido, an Olusegun Obasanjo ally, is one of Mr. Jonathan’s
biggest critics within the People’s Democratic Party, and is thought to
be a leading candidate for president in 2015.
Full text of the statement:
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
LAMIDO NEVER TOLD PRESIDENT JONATHAN OF $250 MILLION BRIBE ALLEGEDLY COLLECTED BY MINISTER
We have noted with much regret, the grossly irresponsible, false and
mischievous claim by the Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido
that President Goodluck Jonathan has refused to act on information that a
serving minister recently collected a bribe of $250 million from an oil
company.
The Presidency views the patently bogus allegation reportedly made by
the Governor in a radio interview yesterday as an unacceptable and
callous attempt to unjustly impugn the integrity of President Jonathan
and cast aspersions on the seriousness of his Administration’s efforts
to curb corruption.
The allegation and the claim by Alhaji Lamido that he informed
President Jonathan of the acceptance of the huge bribe by an unnamed
minister is absolutely without any foundation in fact or reality because
no such communication has ever taken place between them.
We abhor Governor Lamido’s descent to the unscrupulous, reckless and
thoughtless peddling of arrant falsehood in a puerile effort to score
cheap political points against President Jonathan for personal and
sectional political gains.
If, as he claims, Alhaji Lamido has credible information about a
minister receiving the said amount as bribe, he should publicly name the
minister involved without delay and provide evidence to support his
allegation.
In the event that he is unable to do so, he should be prepared to
offer an unreserved apology to the President and Nigerians for his
unwarranted and unjust effort to denigrate, disparage and malign the
President and the Federal Government.
While the Jonathan Presidency will continue to make corrupt public
officials answerable for their actions, it will not succumb to
harassment and blackmail by self-seeking politicians jostling for
personal advantage.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
November 15, 2013
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
November 15, 2013
This was copied from sahararepoters.com.
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