Church gift is corporate social responsibility – Presidency

The Presidency, yesterday, described as laughable and desperation on the part of political opponents, suggestions that President Goodluck Jonathan should be impeached on account of the controversy arising from the construction of a church building in his country-home, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, by an Italian construction firm.
The Presidency’s reaction came as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, described the call for the President’s impeachment by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, as reckless, infantile and reflective of a party limited by its obsession with provincial ideas.
CPC upbraids President
There was, however, no respite for the President, yesterday, as the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, described the Presidency’s defence as reflective of a President inclination towards imperial tendencies. CPC’s spokesman, Mr.  Rotimi Fashakin, told Vanguard, yesterday, that the nation was now at the mercy of the President.

Civil rights activist, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, described the President’s action as a lapse in his moral judgment, which he claimed was an impeachable offence. He, however, doubted the moral rectitude of the National Assembly in initiating any such action on the President.
The issue arose from claims by ACN that the President solicited for  bribe in the form of a church building from the Italian construction company, Gitto. Gitto, it was claimed, built the church building  on the request of the President, a development which ACN amounted to soliciting for bribe for which the President should be sanctioned.
Reacting to ACN’s call yesterday, presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, in a statement said:
“The Presidency has noted with surprise and some amusement, the patently laughable attempt by political opponents of President Goodluck Jonathan and their collaborators to brew up a storm in a cup over the alleged “gift” of a church to the President.”
“It should be clear to all knowledgeable and discerning Nigerians that these allegations are nothing other than another mischievous attempt to denigrate President Jonathan, cast unjustifiable aspersions on his personal integrity and distract him from the serious business of governance.”
“For the benefit of the unwary who might be taken in by the antics of an unscrupulous opposition that has little or no regard for the truth in the pursuit of their self-serving agenda, the Presidency wishes to state emphatically that President Jonathan never solicited nor received a church as “bribe” from any contractor.”

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER