Nigeria Federal Govt denies ordering customized gold iPhones

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.

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 53^rdindependence 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.

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.