The Presidency has reacted with surprise the alarm raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other critics of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan for “hobnobbing” with former governor of Borno state, Ali Modu Sheriff who was recently accused by Australian national Stephen Davis of being a chief sponsor of insurgent group Boko Haram.
In a press release signed by the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Reuben Abati and dated Thursday, September 11, 2014 said the basis for claiming that President to Sheriff to an counter-terrorism meeting with Chadian President Idriss Deby as a member of the entourage was totally erroneous.
Abati explained that although Sheriff has denied the claims through his media adviser, President Jonathan found it necessary to emphasize the point that Sheriff was not a member of his delegation to Ndjamena.
He further explained that in the President’s commitment to transparency, he had made public the names of members of his contingent to Chad a day before the trip, adding the only people apart from those on the list who made the trip were only the president’s personal aides, security personnel and journalists.
Abati said the APC and other critics should have cross-checked properly before Launching non-existent claims and condemnation, adding that it was a well not fact to close associates of the former governor that he spends lots of his time in Chad as he has vested interests in the country, who just happened to be in the country as at the time of President Jonathan was in the country and joined up with other Nigerians in welcoming the President into the neighbouring country from the airport.
The presidential spokesman asserted that that was the full extent of Sheriff’s participation in the visit and the pictures which caused all the stir was taken in the airport, reiterating that the former governor did not take part in the security talks.
The Presidency also affirmed their full awareness as to the allegations levied against Sheriff of which he was still under investigation by security agencies who will make their findings public when the time right, reassuring Nigerians that President Jonathan will not knowingly take any action that could thwart the investigations.
The concluded by saying the President will like to reassure Nigerians once again that he is doing everything possible to bring everyone behind the current spate of insurgency to book.
