Presidential Spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati has described as a fabrication and outright mischief reports that President Goodluck Jonathan traveled to the United Nations General Assembly in New York with 600-Man delegation.<\/p>\n
Abati in a statement issued in New York said while there is absolutely no truth in the report, less than 30 persons with specific responsibilities arrived New York with the President.<\/p>\n
The Statement reads:<\/p>\n
“We have noted with regret the continuation today by Saharareporters.com of its usual scurrilous and baseless attacks on the Jonathan Administration with publication of a false claim that the President is leading a 600-man delegation to the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.<\/p>\n
“While we trust that discerning members of the public who are already very familiar with Sahara Reporters\u2019 usual fare of mischief, outright falsehood and erroneous speculation will rightly dismiss this latest claim as a fresh manifestation of the online medium\u2019s ill-will towards President Jonathan and his administration, we wish to affirm for the benefit of the unwary that there is absolutely no truth in the allegation that the President took a 600-man delegation to New York.<\/p>\n
“There is also no substance to the rehashed charge of profligacy which Sahara reporters annually makes against the President when he leads Nigeria\u2019s delegation to the UN General Assembly.<\/p>\n
“The truth is that less than 30 persons arrived in New York with the President this morning as members of his entourage. Other than them, the only other persons who are in New York for the UN General Assembly with the President\u2019s knowledge and approval are relevant ministers and few essential aides.<\/p>\n
“President Jonathan\u2019s official delegation is definitely not out of proportion with Nigeria\u2019s size, role and relevance in Africa and the global community.<\/p>\n
“Sahara Reporters\u2019 claim that the President\u2019s delegation is the largest at this year\u2019s General Assembly is an unjustifiable fabrication which can never stand any rigorous test of truthfulness.<\/p>\n
“We are certainly aware that many Nigerian citizens are currently on visits to New York. These persons are here for their own purposes and neither President Jonathan nor his administration has any responsibility for the presence of these persons in New York.<\/p>\n
“We will not be surprised if it is such persons who include Nigerian businessmen who are here for an African Business Roundtable event, members of non-governmental organizations and tourists that Sahara Reporters\u00a0 has been counting, for the sole purpose of mischief-making, as \u201cmembers of the Nigerian delegation\u201d.<\/p>\n
Reuben Abati
\nSpecial Adviser to the President
\n(Media & Publicity)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Presidential Spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati has described as a fabrication and outright mischief reports that President Goodluck Jonathan traveled to the United Nations General Assembly in New York with 600-Man…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1904,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n