will return to Nigeria today.
Jonathan, on a trip to Britain, had, on Wednesday, taken ill
thus unable to honour a meeting with British investors.
In a statement, yesterday, the Presidency said the president
merely suffered abdominal pains that did not require surgery.
It dismissed the claim that the illness stemmed from
Jonathan's 56th birthday bash in London, saying there was no
such bash as the president marked the birthday quietly.
The statement thanked all Nigerians for showing concern over
Jonathan's health.
"The Presidency also commends the generality of the
mainstream media whose coverage of the President's slight
health challenge in London was mostly factual, objective,
fair-minded and supportive", the statement said.
It continued: "We however condemn 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.
"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.
"The suggestion by Sahara Reporters that President Jonathan
took ill following a "heavy birthday party thrown to celebrate
the President's 56th birthday at his Presidential suite in the
Intercontinental Hotel in London" is fictional nonsense as
there was definitely no party in London to celebrate President
Jonathan's birthday on Wednesday night.
The truth is that President Jonathan observed his 56th birthday
anniversary quietly. For the better part of the day, he was
airborne, in transit between Abuja and London.
"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".
Via: Vanguard
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