Reports Of Jonathan's Illness False - Presidency

The Presidency on Sunday debunked reports in a national daily that
President Goodluck Jonathan was flown to Germany on Friday for medical
reasons.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr.
Reuben Abati, debunked the report in a telephone interview from
Germany, where the president had been since Friday on a "private
visit".

Abati had last Thursday issued a terse statement, indicating that
Jonathan, with a few aides, was traveling to Germany on a private
visit and should be expected back this week.

No sooner had the Presidency issued the statement on Jonathan's
'private visit' to Germany than a newspaper reported that the
president had taken ill and was going to the Western European country
to seek medical attention.

According to the reports, an earlier planned dinner for members of the
just-concluded 2014 National Conference on Thursday had to be
cancelled at the dying minute because of the sudden illness of the
president.

But the presidential spokesman described the reports as "the figments
of the writers' imagination".

Abati maintained that the president had the right to embark on private
visits and that he was not only hale and hearty but also attending to
official files in his hotel room.

Abati said, "Before leaving Nigeria, I issued a statement that the
President will be embarking on a private visit to Germany with a few
of his aides.

"On Saturday, I sent out a statement that the President spoke with the
Falconets on the telephone. I also sent out the video and audio of his
conversation with the players where he promised to stay awake and
watch the final match.

"The NTA and some other broadcasting stations aired the video and audio.

"There are also photographs out there showing the President when he
was leaving Nigeria and when he was arriving Germany.

"The President is hale and hearty. In fact, he is treating files in
his hotel room.

"Are these not enough proofs that Mr. President is not sick as they
want Nigerians to believe?

"It is important to note that the publisher of the newspaper that has
been writing this false report is a chieftain of an opposition party
who also have an ambition to be President".

Recall that Jonathan had in December last year embarked on a similar
private visit to Germany, which led to speculations that he had gone
there in search of treatment for an undisclosed ailment.