Controversy as President Goodluck Jonathan and First Lady, Patience pays ‘private visit' to Germany

 

Speculations were rife on Wednesday that the trip of President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, to Germany which the Presidency described as “a private visit” might be on health grounds.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, had on Tuesday issued a statement indicating that Jonathan would leave Abuja for Germany en-route to Paris, France to participate in the Summit on Peace and Security in Africa.

Abati said the President would stop over in Germany for a private visit on his way to Paris and return to Abuja at the conclusion of the summit on Saturday.

The announcement of the “private visit” coming a few weeks after he fell sick in London, fuelled speculation that Jonathan might have decided to visit the same German hospital where his wife sought medical attention for about seven weeks last year.

Since he was accompanied by Patience, speculations were also rife that she might use the opportunity of the visit to undergo a medical check-up.

The fears were further confirmed on Wednesday when it was discovered that many of the President’s close aides, who usually accompany him on foreign trips, did not travel with him.

The social media were on Wednesday awash with reports of the motive of President’s German trip.

An online news site, SaharaReporters, reported that Jonathan and his wife checked into a hospital in Germany on Wednesday.

Although Jonathan fell sick during his recent trip to London and was treated of severe abdominal pains, he had since his return been attending state functions.