President Goodluck Jonathan

The Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, has insisted that the President has not stolen any public funds since the beginning of his tenure.

Abati said on Sunday while responding to questions on the listing of President Jonathan as one of the richest African presidents, during a programme on Channels Television.

The presidential spokesperson, who earlier issued a statement on the matter, said the website which claimed that Jonathan was worth $100m, mischievously wanted to portray the President as corrupt.

Abati stated that President Jonathan had not stolen any public fund since he came into office and described him as an honest man.

He said, “What that Internet site and those copy-cat media houses tried to do was to give the impression that the President is corrupt. The site even said the leaders they had listed stole their people’s wealth. It’s absolutely untrue. President Jonathan has not stolen anybody’s wealth.

“He is a very honest and decent man. Those who know him knows that he is not in office to amass wealth but to serve Nigerians to the best of his ability and to leave a legacy that the present and the next generation would be proud of.”

In a response to demands by some Nigerians for the President to publicly declare his asset, Abati said Jonathan would not go against the law to declare his assets publicly.

He said, “President Jonathan has dutifully complied with regulations and has declared his assets, every year and at all occasions. If anyone wants to find out, President Jonathan does not have $100m either in cash or in assets.

“He has always declared his assets but the law does not require any public official to declare his asset publicly. The body that is in charge of declaration of assets is the Code of Conduct Bureau.

“The President has done what is required, anybody who is looking for information on his assets should know that the appropriate place to go is the Code of Conduct Bureau. You don’t expect the President to go against the law and do a public declaration.”

Abati noted that there was still a possibility that the President will go ahead and sue the website for libel.

He added that what the website did was not a retraction and said its management had also not apologised to the President.

“Before the statement that was issued went out, President Jonathan briefed his lawyers. It’s for the lawyers to take it from there,” Abati said.