The Federal Government has responded to the news that they requested 53 gold- plated iphone 5s for N682million. The report turned into a web sensation after the CEO of Gold also Co., UK, Amjad Ali, told UK daily paper, The Independent, that our government requested these telephones from
his firm as a feature of the memorabilia for the country's 53rd Independence celebration on October 1, 2013. Jonathan's
government has denied this and issued a articulation.
Find it beneath.
We consider the reports in a section of the media claiming that the Nigeria government had ordered customized gold
iPhones from a Dubai-based company to mark the country’s 53 rd independence anniversary in October not only false and
misleading, but utterly
mischievous.
It is instructive that despite the
refutation of the story by the company, which ought to have laid the mischief to rest, a number of politically-minded news
media continue to insist on promoting the blatant falsehood.
We deplore their antics
as yet another attempt to use any trick or means possible to discredit President Jonathan’s well-meaning, hardworking and focused administration.
The company, Gold and Co., has since explained that what was written on Independent was different from what the
CEO actually said.
They explained that the
phones were not ordered by the
government but by a Nigerian who asked them to put the crest of the Nigeria govt on the back.
It is certainly a matter of public record and knowledge that since his assumption of office, President Jonathan has ensured that October 1 independence-day anniversaries are low-key, without any
pomp or pageantry. Ironically, even this prudence generated criticisms from a
cynical and opportunistic segment of the public which alleged, in 2011, and again in 2012, that the President was either too
scared to celebrate or that the
government was broke.
This administration has no intention to depart from its established habit of prudent management of resources and
modest celebration of the country’s
independence anniversary.
This year, the public should be assured that the October
1 anniversary will also be low-keyed.
Neither the Federal Government nor its agencies has ordered any gold iPhones to mark the anniversary.
We do not see any justification for such extravagance either now or at any other time. The Jonathan administration’s gold standard is to continue to provide responsible, committed, and result-boriented leadership, not to engage in the
purchase and distribution of party gifts.
We urge the Dubai-based company, which has since said that the order for the saidb53 gold i-phones was placed by a private individual and not the Nigeria Government, to go ahead and disclose the identity of that individual. We appeal
to the public to beware of the increasing desperation of those with politicallynvested interests, seeking to pull down this
administration. Their moral bankruptcy is condemnable.
The Jonathan administration will remain focused as it continues to serve the Nigerian people diligently.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 12, 2013
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