Iheanacho Nwosu, and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja,
Barely 24 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan’s book, ‘My Transition Hours’ was launched in Abuja, pirates struck.
In a tweet, yesterday, Jonathan said: “We have been informed that a fake document, contrived by mischief makers, is being passed on as the e-version and hard copy of the just-launched My Transition Hours.
“Also, note that the e-copy of My Transition Hours is not being marketed.
“As such, the fake, online version could only have been created by those out to deceive the unsuspecting public.
“The alleged copy of my book, My Transition Hours, now circulating online is fake.
“It is the work of mischievous persons who have a wicked agenda. If you buy a copy of my book, you will note that it has only 194 pages, whereas, this strange book has 254 pages. I am shocked at the extent people go to cause calumny.”
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Soft copies of the new book have been shared several times on social media especially WhatsApp.
A scan through the book, online, which is in Portable Document Format (PDF), showed that the book was edited while some chapters were also missing from the online version which Jonathan’s camp claims is fake.
In a related development, Jonathan has dismissed reports that he was persuaded not to concede defeat by some of his ministers, including the former Coordinating minister for the Economy who was also Finance minister, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
He said the claim was nothing but twisted logic.
In his reaction to a report which alleged that those with him at the time he called President Muhammadu Buhari, to concede defeat thought otherwise, Jonathan, in a statement by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, noted that such deduction “is obviously a gross misrepresentation of what was clearly stated in the book.
“President Jonathan hasmaintained that he never consulted anybody over the decision to call and congratulate his opponent while the results of the 2015 presidential election were still being tallied.
“Whereas, the decision to concede defeat was one he took without any compelling, the former president is, however, grateful to those who were with him at that moment, and many other Nigerians who shared in his conviction to put across the historic phone call…”
Meanwhile, the Presidency has described as astonishing, Jonathan’s claim, in his book, that there is more corruption in the country now; compared to when he left office.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement, yesterday night, said: “This is absolutely untrue. The facts on the ground, today, run contrary to his outlandish claim.” The Presidency also urged Nigerians to dismiss Jonathan’s hollow boast that he, not Buhari, introduced the Biometric Verification Number (BVN), Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
“…Buhari is the first to set such a record. Not only that, this is the first time that top military commanders and service chiefs are brought to trial and convictions were achieved on account of corruption. Nigerians should dismiss Dr. Jonathan’s hollow boast that he, not president Buhari, introduced schemes such the BVN, TSA and IPPIS. Of what use is the announcement of good policies without the will to implement them?
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“Since President Buhari assumed office, Nigerians are witnesses to the huge success recorded through the implementation of the TSA, where some government agencies that had over the years remitted peanut amounts, or nothing at all, are now periodically pumping billions into government coffers…While it is also true that the BVN was introduced in 2014, to ensure that all bank accounts have biometric identification of their owners, the lack of will and capacity under Dr. Jonathan stalled implementation.
Today, BVN covers nearly all bank accounts. There are still some individuals who have shielded their identity and are now afraid of enrolling on the BVN platform as this will expose them.”