Former President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed a report that he is on
\nexile in Cote d\u2019Ivoire.<\/p>\n
The report, published yesterday by a national newspaper, claimed that Dr.
\nJonathan had been given asylum in that Francophone country. His associates
\nwere alarmed at the report.<\/p>\n
But Dr. Jonathan yesterday said it was all false. He told The Nation on
\nthe phone: \u201cI\u2019m not on exile. I have no cause to go on exile. It is a
\nwicked and malicious report.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was Vice President for two years and President for six years. I did
\neverything I could and I served my country very well. This is what they
\nkeep saying anytime I\u2019m outside the country. I was in Ecuador; they said I
\nwas on exile. This is my second time in Cote d\u2019Ivoire and I\u2019m rounding off
\nmy visit.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a wicked attempt to link me with the renewed Niger Delta crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also yesterday, Dr. Jonathan told his former cabinet members that he was
\nnot on exile in Cote d\u2019Ivoire.<\/p>\n
He said he could not have been running away from any problem in the
\ncountry let alone going on exile.<\/p>\n
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said although Jonathan
\nhad been implicated in all transactions under its investigation, the
\nex-President was not yet its target.<\/p>\n
The Federal Government is said to be looking into the rumour.<\/p>\n
One of the intelligence agencies is believed to have sent its operatives
\nto Cote d\u2019Ivoire to verify the report.<\/p>\n
According to a former Minister of National Planning, Prof. Suleiman
\nOlanrewaju Abubakar, the ex-President spoke with him and others from
\nAbidjan, following the report.<\/p>\n
Abubakar said Jonathan was only in transit in Cote d\u2019Ivoire being his
\nsecond visit to the West African nation since he left office.<\/p>\n
He said Jonathan actually spent his Christmas break in Cote d\u2019Ivoire and
\nhis visit to \u201cthis country is not new\u201d.<\/p>\n
The ex-minister quoted Jonathan as saying: \u201cI am not on exile, I can never
\nbe on exile, I am going to come back to Nigeria.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot run away from any problem, I am going to face whatever problem
\nthat exists in Nigeria.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abubakar added: \u201cThe ex-President assured me and others that he was only
\nin transit in Cote d\u2019Ivoire which he has visited thrice since handing over
\npower to President Muhammadu Buhari.\u201d<\/p>\n
A top source in EFCC, who spoke yesterday with our correspondent said
\nJonathan was not yet the target of the anti-graft agency.<\/p>\n
The source said; \u201cThe ex-President has been implicated in all transactions
\nwe are investigating; he was virtually involved in everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are building up our investigations but he is not the target. We cannot
\nsay we are not after him in terms of some transactions he approved.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was learnt yesterday that the Federal Government was probing claim that
\nJonathan was allegedly on exile in Cote D\u2019Ivoire.<\/p>\n
It was gathered that one of the intelligence agencies deployed its
\noperatives in Cote D\u2019Ivoire to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the
\nclaim.<\/p>\n
A source in the agency said: \u201cThe Federal Government is concerned about
\nthe report and it is trying to verify it. Our agency has deployed our
\nofficers to find out the situation with the ex-President in Abidjan.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis may involve relating with sister security agencies in Cote D\u2019Ivoire,
\nthe government of the Francophone country and the Nigerian Embassy in
\nAbidjan.<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil we get the actual situation report from our team, we cannot yet
\ngive you the status of Jonathan in the French-speaking nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed a report that he is on exile in Cote d\u2019Ivoire. The report, published yesterday by a national newspaper, claimed that Dr. Jonathan had been…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n