While speaking during an interactive session with some journalists over the weekend in Abuja, former Career Diplomat and retired Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, has said that former President Goodluck Jonathan, has remained one of the poorest former Nigerian leaders, even in Africa, in recent years.
Dr. Igali, who made the startling revelation also said that the immediate past Nigerian President was currently struggling to settle some of his 2015 election liabilities.
He said that despite the allegations of corruption leveled against some of the officials and associates of Jonathan during his tenure as Nigeria’s president, he left his exalted position as a fulfilled man but insolvent, as compared to most of his retired predecessors.
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“I am glad that some of you journalists are privileged to know where he (Jonathan) lives and where he has his private office in this country.
“Thank God some of you guys know the he has an office and where he lives in Maitama. Which former president of Nigeria lives in that kind of place? I do not think President Jonathan can be considered a very rich man.
“President Jonathan’s parlour in his Maitama house can not accommodate more than ten persons.
“Look at his dinning table, it is like any other house in Maitama. The only way you will know that a former president of this country is living there is the presence of security men and which he is entitled to as a former president.
“You must realise that none of those corruption allegations has been personally linked to him. Jonathan is not a rich man, take it from me. He may be comfortable but not rich. But l know that his pension as a former president is enough to take care of him.
“Indeed Jonathan is still struggling to pay some election liabilities from 2015 until today.
“Despite all the stories of flying billions, Jonathan borrowed money to prosecute some aspects of his election and he is struggling in different ways to meet up.”
Igali described Jonathan as a “modest” man whose lifestyle and background were humble.
He expressed regret that Jonathan’s administration is being discredited but said he was confident that “history would vindicate” the former president.
“There’s a lot of untruths that is being said about him, but l believe history will be very fair to him. He is a very simple man. His background and lifestyle are very simple. He is not jingoistic,” he said.
“As a former president when Jonathan needs an aircraft, the federal government will give him particularly if he is going on an important official assignment. But if it is his private trip, he has to fend for himself.
“Jonathan cannot afford to charter an aircraft. What l am saying is not a lie, but people can believe what they like.”
“Thank God some of you guys know the he has an office and where he lives in Maitama. Which former president of Nigeria lives in that kind of place? I do not think President Jonathan can be considered a very rich man.
“President Jonathan’s parlour in his Maitama house can not accommodate more than ten persons.
“Look at his dinning table, it is like any other house in Maitama. The only way you will know that a former president of this country is living there is the presence of security men and which he is entitled to as a former president.
“You must realise that none of those corruption allegations has been personally linked to him. Jonathan is not a rich man, take it from me. He may be comfortable but not rich. But l know that his pension as a former president is enough to take care of him.
“Indeed Jonathan is still struggling to pay some election liabilities from 2015 until today.
“Despite all the stories of flying billions, Jonathan borrowed money to prosecute some aspects of his election and he is struggling in different ways to meet up.”
Igali described Jonathan as a “modest” man whose lifestyle and background were humble.
He expressed regret that Jonathan’s administration is being discredited but said he was confident that “history would vindicate” the former president.
“There’s a lot of untruths that is being said about him, but l believe history will be very fair to him. He is a very simple man. His background and lifestyle are very simple. He is not jingoistic,” he said.
“As a former president when Jonathan needs an aircraft, the federal government will give him particularly if he is going on an important official assignment. But if it is his private trip, he has to fend for himself.
“Jonathan cannot afford to charter an aircraft. What l am saying is not a lie, but people can believe what they like.”
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