President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday admitted that he had not at any time engaged King Mohammed VI of Morocco in a telephone conversation as claimed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said he had also not told anybody that he spoke with the Moroccan monarch.
Jonathan made the clarification in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.
There is an ongoing diplomatic row between Nigeria and Morocco over whether or not Jonathan recently engaged the monarch in a telephone conversation.
While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement claiming that Jonathan spoke with the Moroccan king, authorities of the Kingdom denied the claim and thereafter recalled their ambassador to Nigeria.
Abati, in the Friday statement, said Jonathan was highly embarrassed by the controversy that trailed the issue.
He blamed the controversy on misinformation by the ministry.
Abati said although the President asked the ministry to arrange telephone conversations between him and the King of Morocco, the President of Algeria and the President of Egypt, Jonathan had yet to speak with the Moroccan monarch.
He said, “President Jonathan is shocked, surprised and highly embarrassed by the controversy that has erupted over whether or not he had a telephone conversation with King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
“The regrettable furore that has developed over the matter is due entirely to misinformation as President Jonathan has neither spoken with King Mohammed nor told anybody that he had a telephone conversation with the Moroccan Monarch.
“It is true that President Jonathan has been speaking with some African leaders to seek their support for Nigeria’s candidate for the position of President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
“In continuation of his efforts in support of the candidacy of the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, for headship of the AfDB, President Jonathan indicated that he would like to speak with the King of Morocco, the President of Algeria and the President of Egypt.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was consequently directed to make necessary contacts with the embassies of the three countries and arrange for President Jonathan to speak with their leaders.
“Since that directive was given, President Jonathan has spoken with the Prime Minister of Algeria and subsequently sent Vice-President Namadi Sambo to Algiers as Special Envoy to follow-up on his discussions with the Algerian Prime Minister on support for Nigeria’s candidate in the coming elections for the AfDB Presidency.
“The President has, however, not yet spoken with King Mohammed VI and President Al-Sisi of Egypt as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must know.”
Abati, however, said the President had consequently directed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, to carry out a full investigation aimed at identifying those behind the statement that he spoke with King Mohammed and their motives.
He added that the President ordered that commensurate disciplinary action should be taken against the culprit(s).
Abati said, “The investigation is to identify all those who were responsible for the unacceptable act of official misinformation which has resulted in an unnecessary diplomatic row with another country and national embarrassment.”
Shortly after the President admitted that he did not speak with the Moroccan monarch, the All Progressives Congress asked him to apologise to Nigerians for the embarrassment the phantom phone conversation had caused them.
The APC said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, that Nigerians had now been branded liars as a result of the alleged controversial phone discussion.
The party said based on the antecedents of Jonathan’s administration which has little or no regard for the truth, it is safe to assume that the President did not hold any phone conversation with King Mohammed VI of Morocco, adding that the party would be glad if the President can prove that he spoke with the King.
The statement read, “‘Whereas Morocco was unequivocal in denying that its King had any phone conversation with President Jonathan, saying ‘Morocco is surprised at the incredible twist given by Nigeria to an alleged phone conversation that never took place between King Mohammed VI and Nigerian President, the Nigerian Presidency has been less forthcoming, instead opting to engage in shadow-chasing.
‘’Because of this unnecessary controversy over a phone discussion, Nigerians have now been branded liars. This is very serious, considering Nigeria’s standing in Africa.”
OLALEKAN ADETAYO
