Former Governor of Borno State Ali Modu Sheriff,
President Goodluck Jonathan and President Idris
Derby of Chad in Ndjamena (pix: State House)
By Reuben Abati
We have noted with surprise, the unnecessary hue and cry raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other bigoted critics of the Jonathan Administration over the claim that the President is “hobnobbing” with the former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who was recently accused by the Australian, Stephen Davis, of being one of the chief sponsors of the terrorist group, Boko Haram.
The totally erroneous basis for that charge was the spurious claim that Senator Sheriff accompanied President Jonathan on his recent trip to Ndjamena as a member of his entourage.
Although Senator Sheriff himself has already given the lie to that claim through his Media Adviser, the Presidency wishes to affirm, for the purpose of emphasis, that the former Borno State governor was not on President Jonathan’s delegation to Chad.
In keeping with President Jonathan’s commitment to transparency and openness in the conduct of government business, names of the key members of his delegation were announced a day before his trip to Ndjamena.
In keeping with President Jonathan’s commitment to transparency and openness in the conduct of government business, names of the key members of his delegation were announced a day before his trip to Ndjamena.
They included the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed and the Director-General of National Space Research and Development Agency, Prof. Seidu Mohammed.
As can be easily verified from the complete list of members of the Presidential entourage to Chad which was also circulated on Sunday and never changed, Senator Sheriff’s name was not on it. The only other persons on the list were the President’s aides, security personnel and journalists.
President Jonathan And Sheriff At The Airport
In Ndjamena (pix: State House)
The APC and others who rushed to condemn President Jonathan for a non-existent indiscretion would have found, if they took the least trouble to double-check, that there was absolutely no factual basis for their accusation.
Those who associate with Senator Sheriff know that he has longstanding interests in Chad and often spends a lot of his time there. He happened to be in Ndjamena at the time of President Jonathan’s visit and joined other Nigerian residents of the Chadian capital in coming to the airport to welcome their President.
That was the full extent of his participation in the visit and it was also at Ndjamena Airport that the pictures which formed the basis of the bogus allegation of President Jonathan hobnobbing with an “accused sponsor of terrorism” were taken.
The former Governor’s presence in Chad was certainly not at President Jonathan’s instance and he did not participate in any of the President’s discussions with President Idriss Deby or his other engagements in Ndjamena.
President Jonathan is fully aware of the allegation made against Senator Sheriff by Stephen Davis. That allegation is already being investigated by the security agencies who will make their findings known to the public in due course.
The President assures all Nigerians that he has not willfully taken any action that could prejudice the outcome of that ongoing inquiry.
He seizes this opportunity to reassure the nation once again of his total commitment to doing all within his powers to bring all identified and verified sponsors of terrorism to justice, and ending the menace of violent extremism in the country.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
Media & Publicity
September 11, 2014
Special Adviser to the President
Media & Publicity
September 11, 2014
"PRESS STATEMENT"
ReplyDelete"Former Borno Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff Did Not Travel With President Jonathan"
“It has become necessary to correct this misinformation, mischief and smear campaigns targeted at former Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, where in the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC has been using to sway public attention.
“The APC was reported misled Nigerians into believing that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was on the official entourage of Mr. President to Chad recently.
“We wish to state that Contrary to reports in some sections of the media that Former Borno state Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was on the entourage of President Goodluck Jonathan during his recent visit to the Republic of Chad, the former Governor was in Chad before the visit and was amongst many other Nigerians who received Mr President at the airport in Ndjamena.
“It is necessary to clarify that Ali Sheriff is more or less a resident of Ndjamena, as he has been in Chad pursuing his legitimate business since leaving office in 2011 and it was not out of place for him to receive his own President in Chad,” said Sheriff.
“While it is not an (anathema) even if the President had travelled with Sheriff on his entourage, as Sheriff has neither been indicted by a panel of inquiry or found guilty of any offense by any court of law in Nigeria (nor) anywhere, one must hasten to point out that the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Lai Mohammed was being mischievous to have issued a press release stating that any form of relationship between Sheriff and Mr President as being inappropriate. The APC has been insensibly critical of all actions of Mr President, and has been casting aspersions on the personalities of people who left the party.”
“The APC is merely celebrating falsehood and mischief by orchestrating the controversial interview by a self styled Australian hostage negotiator, Steven Davis, who has since been disowned by the Government he initially claimed hired him.
“Actual negotiators involved in seeking the release of the Chobok girls have equally faulted the claims credited to the Australian, as being out of tune with processes and procedures involved in such matters. Besides there are emerging evidences which point to the contrary on issues raised by Mr Davis.”
“Nigerians should disregard the serial lies of Lai Mohammed and his party, the APC, as the outpourings of both the APC spokesman as well as its National Chairman, John Oyegun are mere ranting of two senile minds.
“Politics should be divorced from such very serious issues as security.”
Signed:
Mr Inuwa Bwala
Media Adviser to Former Gov Ali Modu Sheriff