FG denies ordering customized gold iPhones; issues statement

The Federal Government has
reacted to the news that they
ordered 53 gold gold-plated iPhone
5S for N682million. The report went
viral after the CEO of Gold and Co.,
UK, Amjad Ali, told UK newspaper,
The Independent , that our
government ordered these phones
from his firm as part of the
memorabilia for the nation’s 53rd
Independence anniversary on
October 1, 2013. Jonathan's
government has denied this and
issued a statement. Find it below...
We consider the reports in a
section of the media claiming
that the Nigerian government
had ordered customized gold
iPhones from a Dubai-based
company to mark the
country’s 53rd independence
anniversary in October 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. 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.
The company, Gold and Co., has
since explained that what was
written on Independent was
different from what the CEO actually
said. They explained that the
phones were not ordered by the
government but by a Nigerian who
asked them to put the crest of the
Nigerian govt on the back.
Continue..
The statement continues...
It is certainly a matter of public
record and knowledge that
since his assumption of office,
President Jonathan has
ensured that October 1
independence-day
anniversaries are low-key,
without any pomp or
pageantry. Ironically, even this
prudence generated criticisms
from a cynical and
opportunistic segment of the
public which alleged, in 2011,
and again in 2012, that the
President was either too
scared to celebrate or that the
government was broke.
This administration has no
intention to depart from its
established habit of prudent
management of resources and
modest celebration of the
country’s independence
anniversary. This year, the
public should be assured that
the October 1 anniversary will
also be low-keyed.  Neither the
Federal Government nor its
agencies has ordered any gold
iPhones to mark the
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.
We urge the Dubai-based
company, which has since said
that the order for the said 53
gold i-phones was placed by a
private individual and not the
Nigerian Government, to go
ahead and disclose the
identity of that individual. We
appeal to the public to beware
of the increasing desperation
of those with politically vested
interests, seeking to pull down
this administration. Their
moral bankruptcy is
condemnable.
The Jonathan administration
will remain focused as it
continues to serve the
Nigerian people diligently.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the
President
(Media & Publicity)
September 12, 2013