FG Admits 1st Lady's Trip.Denies Sacking Aides

THE Presidency on Monday announced that wife of  President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, had travelled to Germany, where it said she visited often for medical check-ups.

“It is notable that Her Excellency has a history of visiting the hospital in Germany even before she became the First Lady, thus making her medical trips routine,” a  statement by the Special Assistant (Media) to the President’s wife, Ayo Osinlu, said.

Osinlu’s statement was in reaction to media reports that the President’s wife had again returned for medical treatment abroad.

Patience was in 2012 overseas for six weeks attending to her health. Though Osinlu and the Presidency denied then that she was undergoing treatment, Patience at a thanksgiving service to celebrate her survival revealed that she underwent nine surgeries and passed out for a whole week.

The Presidency  statement on Monday read, “Our attention has been attracted by some curiosity in a cross section of the public and particularly the media, about the movement of the First Lady, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan.

“For the avoidance of doubts and ambiguities, we wish to state that the First Lady travelled to Dubai, after which she proceeded to Paris, France, to participate in the first Green Women Conference, which took place in Paris on March 17, where she received the 2013 Global Women Leaders’ Award for Peace.

“She thereafter proceeded to Italy from where she went to Germany to see her mother, Mama Sisi, who is currently receiving medical attention.

“The First Lady is spending sometime overseeing the management of her mother’s condition.

“She is also using the opportunity to spend quality time with her holidaying children before they return to school, as they are with her to see their grandmother.

“It is unfortunate that again, some media houses have allowed themselves to be used by dedicated mischief-makers against the basic tenet of professional journalism, which regards truth as sacred.

“It is notable that Her Excellency has a history of visiting the hospital in Germany even before she became the First Lady, thus making her medical trips routine.

“It is also instructive to state that medical experts have recommended that every human being should undergo medical checkup every six months, even if not suffering from ill health.

“Therefore, hospital visitations of our leaders should not become leading media issues or attract disrespectful comments, just as the current circumstances of former President Nelson Mandela and other African leaders in similar situations, and even those who died, have not attracted negative comments from their people.

“While urging a more charitable disposition towards one another as our brothers’ keepers, we wish to express our appreciation for the sincere interests of those, who have shown genuine concern through their enquiries.

“The First Lady is expected back within the next week.”

Meanwhile, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, on Monday described an online report credited to him to have announced the sacking of Osinlu as “a classic April Fool’s joke and fake naija news”.

An online news portal, Saharareporters, on Monday morning, had posted a report that Abati issued a statement announcing Osinlu’s sacking and his replacement by one of the online medium’s columnists, Rudolf  Okonkwo.

The report had since been removed from the website.But Abati in his Twitter handling denied issuing such statement.