by Hauwa Gambo 

Dr Reuben Abati, the Presidential special adviser on Media and Publicity, has denied rumours that President Goodluck Jonathan travelled out of the country to South Africa.

He insisted that the President has been in Nigeria, and today has been very busy attending to matters of state. President

According to a recent statment, President Jonathan attended the Armed Forces Remembrance Service at the National Christian Centre at 1 p.m., on Sunday, 8 January.

Subsequently, he was at the Eagle Square, Abuja, to commission a national mass transit programme, as promised in his national broadcast on Saturday, 7 January.

“Given sheer common sense and the time difference between Nigeria and South Africa, and this can be double-checked, it is not possible for the President to be physically present in two places at the same time.   It is most unfortunate that some Nigerians, for dubious reasons, would go to any length to misinform the public, and seek to embarrass the President,” Abati said.

He also accused anti- government groups of trying to tear the nation apart with lies and rumours. “The anti-Jonathan propagandists are desperate and are determined to confuse the public. Whatever makes them unhappy, they must realise that Nigeria is more important, and that the national interest must be considered superior to their own greedy and selfish machinations,” he said.  

Abati continued:

 “It may well be true that nobody can transform Nigeria without a fight from an established, clandestine order, and the Mafia, running that discreditable Order, has tentacles and roots like the Octopus. Also, no one should be deluded into thinking that there are no agents of that Mafia in civil society and parliament, with aggressive campaigners who will carry the banner of dirt, at any cost. But here is the good news: Mr Jonathan is preaching a gospel of change and progress, and he is committed to the national interest. He deserves the support of all and sundry, not malicious misinformation.”