Federal Goverment Did Not Order Gold Iphones.

The presidency on Thursday evening issued another denial that the government ordered customized gold iPhones from a Dubai-based British company to mark the country’s 53rd independence anniversary next month. The Report was first published on Tuesday by The Independent, a London-based newspaper. In yet another official reaction, presidential spokesman Reuben Abati described the report as not only false and misleading, but utterly mischievous. “It is instructive that despite the refutation of the story by the company, which ought to have laid the mischief to rest, a number of politically-minded news media continue to insist on promoting the blatant falsehood,” the statement said.
“We deplore their antics as yet another attempt to use any trick or means possible to discredit President Jonathan’s well-meaning, hardworking and focused administration.” He said the administration would not depart from its “established habit” of what he described as prudent management of resources and modest celebration of the national anniversary. “We do not see any justification for such extravagance either now or at any other time. The Jonathan administration’s gold standard is to continue to provide responsible, committed, and result-oriented leadership, not to engage in the purchase and distribution of party gifts.” He noted that the Dubai-based firm has said that the order for the said 53 gold Iphones was placed by a private individual and not the Nigerian Government, and urged the company to go ahead and disclose the identity of that individual. Only yesterday, reporter Simon Usborne, who wrote the original story for The Independent, refused to retract the story, saying what he had published was what Amjad Ali, the British owner of Gold and Co., had told him.  The reporter suggested that Gold and Co was trying to re-script the interview perhaps in reaction to the attention and angry reaction of Nigerians. “Seems boss of @goldandco got carried away,” Usborne tweeted. “He now tells me a Nigerian individual – not the govt. – ordered 53 anniversary gold iPhones.” The Jonathan government, struggling with an increasingly negative image on account of various scandals, yesterday offered two denials, one by Reno Omokri, Jonathan’s social media assistant, and the other by Joseph Mutah, the Press Secretary to the Minister of Information.
Sahara Reporters.