President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, described as baseless and
libelous, his inclusion as one of the richest presidents in Africa by a
website - RichestLifestyle.com and demanded immediate apology and
retraction.
The President who said he has had no personal income since 1999 other
than his official remuneration as deputy governor, governor, vice
president, acting president and president which are matters of public
record, is set to drag those behind the report and those who reproduced
it to court to clear his name.
The website had named the President as the sixth richest African President with an estimated net worth of $100 million.
A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben
Abati, described the write up as another attempt to unjustifiably
portray the President as a corrupt leader and incite public disaffection
against him.
He said the President has never been a businessman or entrepreneur, but
a life-long public servant and everything concerning him are matters of
public record:
'We have noted with consternation the listing of President Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan by a website - RichestLifestyle.com - as the sixth
richest African President with an estimated net worth of $100 million.
'The Presidency condemns the totally unwarranted inclusion of President
Jonathan in the publication titled Africa's Richest Presidents 2014 as
another attempt to unjustifiably portray the President as a corrupt
leader and incite public disaffection against him.
'We categorically assert that there is no factual basis for ranking
President Jonathan as the sixth richest African Head of State with a net
worth of about $100 million.
'As is well known, President Jonathan has never been a businessman or
entrepreneur, but a life-long public servant. The President has held
public office since 1999 and has regularly declared his assets as
required by Nigerian laws. He has had no personal income since 1999
other than his official remuneration as deputy governor, governor, vice
president, acting president and president which are matters of public
record.
'There has been no significant variation in the totality of his
personal assets as contained in his last declaration to the Nigerian
Code of Conduct Bureau in 2011 which, as can be verified, was a very,
very far cry from the $100 million figure now being bandied about by
Richest Lifestyle.com and other irresponsible, copy-cat publications.
'The clear and unacceptable imputation of the claim that President
Jonathan is now worth about $100 Million is that the President has
corruptly enriched himself while in office which is certainly not the
case.
'We therefore demand a retraction and an unreserved apology from
Richest Lifestyle. com and all those who have reproduced the offensive
article.
'Otherwise, they should be prepared to substantiate their libelous
claims against the President in courts of law within and outside
Nigeria.'
