The Office of former President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed allegations circulating on social media that he or members of his family benefited from a disputed pilot training programme through preferential treatment.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the former President’s media adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, described the claims as false, malicious and entirely without basis.
The allegations were reportedly made by one Kariyau Daukaru, who claimed that relatives of the former President were among candidates who failed an aviation training examination but were later sponsored abroad for pilot training through special consideration.
Rejecting the claims, Jonathan’s office stated that no member of the former President’s family applied for, participated in, or failed any examination connected to the aviation training programme in question.
The statement further stressed that no relative of the former President was nominated, selected, sponsored or trained under the programme, either in the United States or any other country. It also maintained that no member of the Jonathan family is currently undergoing pilot or aviation training under any such arrangement.
According to the statement, former President Jonathan had no involvement in the administration of the programme and did not influence its processes in favour of any individual.
While noting that the former President does not usually comment on private disputes or matters before the courts, the office said it was compelled to respond because of attempts to associate him and his family with allegations unrelated to them.
The office described the claims as an effort to draw public attention to an ongoing dispute by exploiting Jonathan’s name and public profile.
It urged parties involved in the matter to seek redress through lawful and institutional channels rather than making what it called reckless and unfounded allegations against individuals with no connection to the dispute.
“The allegations concerning Dr. Jonathan, members of his family and any purported aviation training sponsorship are false in their entirety and should be disregarded by the public,” the statement said.
The office also called on those responsible for spreading the claims to immediately correct the record and refrain from further publication of what it described as falsehoods concerning the former President and his family.
