£15m UK Property: Jonathan Reacts

Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has denied owning a £15m property in the United Kingdom and demanded a retraction from the UK SUN over an article by its former Editor, Kelvin Mackenzie, alleging in his Saturday column that the ex-Nigerian leader had bought the property in Surrey.

News Punch among other online news media  had earlier reported that Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan acquired a mansion in the United Kingdon that worths £15million, Kelvin Mackenzie, a Journalist with The Sun Uk Newspaper reported yesterday on page 15. 

Related News: Jonathan's £15million Mansion In United Kingdom EXPOSED By British Newspaper

He had written, “I hear the aptly named Goodluck Jonathan, the former President of oil-rich Nigeria, has bought a 12,000 square foot house on the ultra-expensive and well protected St George’s Hill estate in Weybridge, Surrey.

“I’m sure he gained his wealth legitimately but these houses are £10-£15million a pop, so, perhaps the ex-President could explain where his money came from as he has been at the forefront of the fight against his country’s corruption. Surely, it can’t all have been good luck.”

But reacting in a statement issued by his media aide, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan denied the report, insisting that he does not have any property or accounts outside Nigeria.

The statement readS in part, “Nothing could be further from the truth. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan takes pride in the fact that he does not have any property or accounts outside Nigeria. He stated this publicly while in office and his commitment to Nigeria’s economy remains total even after he left power.

“As the Nigerian President who signed the Freedom of Information bill into law, Dr. Jonathan is well aware that the United Kingdom is a nation with good record keeping at county and national levels and as such, it will not take a serious and responsible media long to verify ownership of property before rushing to the press with potentially libellous publications.

“It is hoped that this publication will correct its error and do a retraction and that other media will likewise follow up on this story to put the lie to the details it contains.”

Related News: Jonathan's £15million Mansion In United Kingdom EXPOSED By British Newspaper

Jonathan's £15million Mansion In United Kingdom EXPOSED By British Newspaper

The immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan has been alleged to have acquired a mansion in the United Kingdon that worths £15million, Kelvin Mackenzie, a Journalist with The Sun Uk Newspaper reported yesterday on page 15. 

The mansion was said to be located at St George’s Hill estate in Weybridge, Surrey in the United Kingdom.

Jonathan's ministers and virtually all that have worked with him except few have been under severe probe of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, since President Muhammadu Buhari took over. Several billion and millions of Naira and United States dollar have been recovered.

The UK's The Sun Tabloid author of the report queried the source of the money by which the ex-president of Nigeria bough such an expensive building.

"I HEAR the aptly named Goodluck Jonathan, the former president of oil-rich Nigeria, has bought a 12,000 square foot house on the ultra-expensive and well protected St George’s Hill estate in Weybridge, Surrey."

"I’m sure he gained his wealth legitimately but these houses are £10-£15million a pop, so ­perhaps the ex-president could explain where his money came from as he has been at the ­forefront of the fight against his country’s ­corruption."

'Surely it can’t all have been good luck." The Newspaper was quoted to have said.

The paper put the market price for such houses in the area as being between £10-£15million (about N4.3bn), a staggering figure that may well surpass the cumulative earnings of the former president while in office.

Jonathan has been many times accused of leading a most profligate administration. A large number of top officials who served under his government are presently being probed by anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

A number of former ministers and aides who served with the Jonathan administration were mentioned as being among those who returned looted funds to the Nigerian government between May 29, 2015 when Jonathan left office and May 25, 2016.

No reactions have been issued yet by the former president or his camp, to the story published by The Sun.