The presidency said yesterday that
the interviews the United States (US) Cable News Network (CNN) had with
President Goodluck Jonathan were entirely a private initiative by an American
public relations firm, Fleishman-Hillard.
It said the federal government didn’t pay a dime to facilitate them.
the interviews the United States (US) Cable News Network (CNN) had with
President Goodluck Jonathan were entirely a private initiative by an American
public relations firm, Fleishman-Hillard.
It said the federal government didn’t pay a dime to facilitate them.
It was reacting to a story by LEADERSHIP on Thursday, in which
the paper quoted a report by an online media, Premium Times as saying that
Fleishman-Hillard Inc had admitted that it arranged the CNN interview for
Jonathan at the cost of $40,000 and not the $60,000 initially fixed for the
exercise.
the paper quoted a report by an online media, Premium Times as saying that
Fleishman-Hillard Inc had admitted that it arranged the CNN interview for
Jonathan at the cost of $40,000 and not the $60,000 initially fixed for the
exercise.
But LEADERSHIP did not in any way quote the online paper as
saying it was the federal government that paid the said money, as the report by
Premium Times was silent on who paid for the interview.
saying it was the federal government that paid the said money, as the report by
Premium Times was silent on who paid for the interview.
The presidency source, who spoke to our correspondent at the
presidential villa on condition of anonymity since he was not the spokesman but
was involved in the arrangement then, said the report was incorrect, as all the
interviews Mr. Jonathan had with CNN in 2010/2011 were arranged directly with
CNN and not through any agency.
presidential villa on condition of anonymity since he was not the spokesman but
was involved in the arrangement then, said the report was incorrect, as all the
interviews Mr. Jonathan had with CNN in 2010/2011 were arranged directly with
CNN and not through any agency.
He said: “It is ridiculous for anybody to say that the federal
government spent one dollar to facilitate CNN interview with President
Jonathan. No government official has paid any firm to help the government
facilitate any interview for Mr. President. The story is false, malicious and
designed to tarnish the image of the president. All the interviews Mr.
President had with CNN in 2010/2011 were all arranged by the president’s media
department.”
government spent one dollar to facilitate CNN interview with President
Jonathan. No government official has paid any firm to help the government
facilitate any interview for Mr. President. The story is false, malicious and
designed to tarnish the image of the president. All the interviews Mr.
President had with CNN in 2010/2011 were all arranged by the president’s media
department.”
Explaining further on Fleishman-Hillard’s role alongside the
government in the whole issue, the source noted that it were some friends of
the president in 2011 who approached a Nigerian firm to assist in arranging a
series of events for the president while he was attending the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
government in the whole issue, the source noted that it were some friends of
the president in 2011 who approached a Nigerian firm to assist in arranging a
series of events for the president while he was attending the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
He added that, while it was this company that brought in the US
firm as consultants, the entire arrangement, however, fell through because
there was no provision in the president’s schedule to accommodate the programme
drawn up by the outfit.
firm as consultants, the entire arrangement, however, fell through because
there was no provision in the president’s schedule to accommodate the programme
drawn up by the outfit.
Source: Leadership
