FG denies ordering customized gold iPhones; issues statement

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. Find it below...

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^rd independence 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.