The Office of Former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, has debunked a publication circulating on social media which seeks to link the former President and his relatives to an alleged pilot training programme that is currently the subject of a dispute between private parties.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the office described as false and malicious, the claim by one Mr. Kariyau Daukaru that relatives of former President Jonathan were among persons who allegedly failed a pilot training examination but were subsequently sent abroad by a philanthropist for training through preferential treatment.
Ikechukwu Eze, the former President’s media adviser, who signed the statement declared that no relative of former President Jonathan applied for the aviation training programme referenced in the publication.
It said further: “No relative of the former President participated in or failed any examination connected to the programme. No relative of former President Jonathan was nominated, selected, sponsored, or trained under the programme in question, whether in the United States or elsewhere. No member of the Jonathan family is currently undergoing pilot or aviation training under any such arrangement.”
The office noted that while Dr. Jonathan does not ordinarily comment on matters arising from private disagreements or ongoing legal proceedings, “we are compelled to respond to the false claim that relatives of the former President allegedly failed a pilot training examination and were subsequently sponsored abroad through preferential treatment.”
The office further averred that former President Jonathan had no involvement whatsoever in the administration of the programme and did not influence its processes in favour of any individual.
The statement frowned at what it described as an attempt to insert the name of Dr. Jonathan into a dispute involving other parties and “a deliberate effort to sensationalise the matter and attract public attention by exploiting his name and public standing.”
Stressing further, it said: “We urge individuals involved in ongoing disputes to pursue their grievances through appropriate legal and institutional channels and to refrain from making reckless assertions against persons who have no connection whatsoever to the issues in contention.
“The Office of the Former President wishes to state unequivocally that the allegations concerning Dr. Jonathan, members of his family and any purported aviation training sponsorship are false in their entirety and should be disregarded by the public. We expect those responsible for propagating these claims to immediately correct the record and refrain from further publication of falsehoods concerning the former President and his family.”
Ikechukwu Eze
Special Adviser to H.E. Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
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