Jonathan: No drinking spree for my birthday in London Category: News Published on Sunday, 24 November 2013 05:00 Written by Isiaka Wakili Hits: 8 President Goodluck Jonathan has denied a report that he took ill Thursday following a heavy birthday party thrown to celebrate his 56th birthday at the InterContinental Hotel in London the previous night. Jonathan, in a statement yesterday by his spokesman, Reuben Abati, described the report as fictional nonsense, claiming that neither was such a birthday party held for him nor was there any drinking spree. Abati said while it was true that the president observed his 56th birthday anniversary quietly, he was for part of the day, airborne in transit between Abuja and London and that on arrival in London, he spent the rest of the day in the privacy of his hotel room. “It has never been his custom to celebrate birthday anniversaries and no exception was made this year. No birthday party was therefore held for the president in London and there was certainly no drinking spree as Sahara Reporters claimed,” he said. Noting that no human being is beyond health challenges irrespective of his/her station in life, Abati said Jonathan thanked all patriotic and well- meaning Nigerians including his supporters, friends and political associates who expressed and conveyed their sympathies and solidarity with him through various means following the announcement of his sudden indisposition “while on a mission to attract greater investments to accelerate the growth of the Nigerian economy in keeping with his agenda for national transformation”. He said while the Presidency commended the generality of the mainstream media whose coverage of Jonathan’s “slight health challenge” in London was mostly factual, objective, fair-minded and supportive; it however condemned “the utterly irresponsible, deplorable, highly unprofessional and unethical antics of certain fringe elements operating in the nebulous sphere of cyberspace who persist in seizing every opportunity to unjustifiably malign and impugn the character and integrity of the elected leader of their country”. Abati said the president, fully assured that the forces of good will continue to triumph over those of darkness in the country, was comforted by the prayers, support and overwhelming goodwill of Nigerians. According to him, “it is very regrettable indeed that after, in compliance with President Jonathan’s standing instruction that Nigerians must never be kept in the dark about the state of his health, the public was duly informed that the president had received precautionary medical attention for an unexpected indisposition in London, Sahara Reporters and some other reckless, lawless, impudent and unpatriotic internet-based media chose to assault the sensibilities of all decent Nigerians again with their entirely fictional, malicious, hate- driven and scurrilous distortion of the facts of the president’s indisposition. “As unregulated as they are, Sahara Reporters and their ilk are not beyond the bounds of legal action for libel and willful defamation of the character and reputation of a president who has courageously stepped forward to serve his country
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 07:34:12 +0000
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