The Presidency, Thursday, said that contrary to media reports and the
accusation by the All Progressive Congress, the former governor of
Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff was not part of the President Goodluck
Jonathan's delegation to Ndjamena, Chad.
Addressing state House Correspondents, Special Adviser to the
President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati said the President
was aware of the allegations levelled against the former Borno state
governor and would not interfere with investigations by security
agencies.
According to Dr Abati, Senator Modu Sheriff was neither on the
President's entourage to Chad nor did he participate in any of the
engagements that the president had in Chad.
Abati said that Modu Sherrif only joined other Nigerians living in
Chad to welcome President Jonathan at the airport and the picture
taken of the President with the former Borno governor which is the
subject of angst of Nigerians and the opposition part was at the
airport where he had come with other Nigerians to welcome the
president.
His statement:
"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.
(Photo: MEETING: From right; President Idriss Deby of Chad; President
Goodluck Jonathan and former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu
Sheriff at a meeting in Chad on Monday. Photo: NAN.)
"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.
"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.
"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".
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