Patience Jonathan in Germany for check-up – FG
Source: Punch online
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.
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Author: Kingsley the Analist
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