News Report: Nigerian Presidency Debunks Corruption List Report

Abati: Presidential Spokesperson

The Nigerian Presidency has denied that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s name was on the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) list of corrupt governors, when he was the governor of Oil rich Bayelsa State. The Presidency was responding to a lead report in today’s edition of “The Daily Trust”, a Nigerian daily newspaper. The said report was purportedly authored by an official of the United States Embassy about two years ago.

The release signed by Dr. Reuben Abati, the President’s Chief Publicist said that it is a matter of public record that no charge of corruption was made against Dr. Goodluck Jonathan while he served as Governor of Bayelsa State.

The release also stated that attempts were made to impugn the President’s integrity by referring to the alleged corrupt conducts of the First Lady which has been denied by Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, the former Chairman of EFCC.

The Presidency said that the incident of seizure of $13.5million from Mrs. Patience Jonathan at the Lagos Airport never happened.

The release advised reporters to follow the dictates of the Freedom of Information and request for EFCC records to establish the truth of the matter.

Mr. Ribadu had on 13th of October, 2010 stated that: "We investigated it and there was nothing connected with Mrs. Jonathan. Even as at that time those who were desperately looking to make a political mile out of every opportunity decided to use that to link it with them simply because they wanted to kick them out of office at that time".