The Presidency on Wednesday denied a media report (not The PUNCH) that the Federal Government purchased 200 exotic cars for the ongoing African First Ladies Summit being hosted by wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, in Abuja.
The government, in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, described the report as “utterly false and misleading.”
It added that the report was another attempt to incite public anger against the Presidency and the Federal Government.
The statement read, “The true facts of the matter are as follows: The African First Ladies Peace Mission which is holding its summit in Abuja is a Non-Governmental Organisation. Its activities are funded by stakeholders and members of the private sector who support and identify with its objectives.
“In accordance with its modus operandi, the AFLPM set up several committees, including a finance committee to raise funds and sponsorship for the organisation of its Abuja Summit.
“As part of its own contributions to the successful hosting of the summit by the First Lady, Patience Jonathan, Coscharis Motors Ltd. offered to provide some cars for the event at no cost to the organisers or the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“Under an agreement signed by the committee and Coscharis Motors, all the cars will be returned to the company after the summit.”
The Presidency argued that the authors of the report were aware that they had no facts to support the claim that the Federal Government bought the cars in question.
It said it was regrettable that the authors of the media report rushed to publish a completely erroneous report, the falsity of which should have been apparent to them.
“Their very unprofessional and unethical decision to publish the unverifiable allegation can only be construed as another attempt to incite public anger against the Presidency and the Federal Government,” the statement added.
Source: Punch Newspapers