President Goodluck Jonathan’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, has responded to accusations that Jonathan and members of his entourage refused to say amen during last weekend’s democracy day Church Service when Most Reverend Peter Akinola offered a prayer against corrupt public officials.
Newsmen gathered that Mr Abati, while speaking with newsmen in Abuja, revealed what was described as “aspects of protocol that are not widely known outside Government circles”, and explained why Mr President and ministers didn’t say Amen to the anti-corruption prayer by Most Reverend Peter Akinola.
According to Abati, it is a long standing presidential protocol that during Church or Mosque services, the President only offers a fixed number of amens or amis, as the case may be. From what Olufamous learnt, he claimed that Reverend Akinola had offered many prayers which the President said amen to (and had met the day’s official quota of amen), before the contentious one.
If not that Jonathan has said the fixed number of amens for the day, Abati reasoned, “Why would Mr. President not say amen to a prayer against corruption?” He went ahead to advised pastors and imams to familiarise themselves with government protocol and to also limit the length of their prayers and sermons.
“It is the same people accusing the President of not saying amen to anti-corruption prayer that would be accusing him of favouritism if he had broken with protocol and said more amens than is allowed by constitution,” Abati was quoted as saying
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