As the dust over President Goodluck Jonathan’s embarrassing outing in a recent CNN interview is yet to settle, PREMIUM TIMES can report that the presidency actually spends thousands of dollars in public funds to arrange interviews with foreign media outlets.

Mr. Jonathan’s penchant for foreign media has fetched him criticism, with citizens often bashing him for what they consider his unpresidential poise and bad grammar on camera.

Commentators on social media ranked his performance in the interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour two weeks ago amongst the president’s worst yet.

While this newspaper is unable to determine how much was spent in procuring the late January CNN and Aljazeera interviews with Mr. Jonathan, we are in possession of documents suggesting that the presidency has retained the services of an American lobbying firm, Fleshman-Hillard Inc. to help arrange these interviews.

The firm, which reports to the presidency through Enyi Odigbo, Chairman of Lagos-based advertising and public relations company, Caser’s Group, was hired in 2010, without any formal agreement and budget.

The lobbying firm submits bills to the presidency as it pleases.

In at least one of its bills seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the company requested $59, 200 from the Nigerian government for arranging an interview for President Jonathan with the CNN Nigerian affiliate in late 2010.

The interview, anchored by Isha Sesay, held in Aso Rock in Abuja on September 30, 2010, in preparation for the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Nigeria Independence.

Fleshman-Hillard was also to contact other foreign media outlets such as Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Reuters as Mr. Jonathan planned at the time to announce his intention to run for president in the 2011 presidential election.

But the firm was only able to deliver on the CNN interview. It was unable to get interviews for the president on the other platforms.

It is not known why the President needed to hire a lobbyist to procure interviews for him even when he has a Reuben Abati, a Doyin Okupe, and a Reno Omokri among his numerous media aides.

Since taking office in early 2010, some of the president’s key decisions and pronouncements have been made public via foreign outlets, mainly the CNN.

Mr. Jonathan delivered his first public comments on late President Umaru Yar’ Adua’s health, in an interview with Ms. Amanpour in 2010, where he spoke of how the ailing president’s family blocked him from seeing Mr. Yar’adua.

He would not force himself to see Mr. Yar’adua, he said at the time.

Regardless of the channel through which he opened up, the interview was well-received as the president also spoke on governance, promising improved electricity supply (which he enjoys calling POWER) and security.

Mr. Jonathan has yet to grant exclusive interviews to Nigerian channels. The closest to that is the occasional presidential media chat on the state-run Nigerian Television Authority.

But the president’s preference for the foreign networks has not gone without knocks, with critics often rebuking him for his unassertive demeanor before the camera, and poor quality responses to questions.

Critics say the last interview was even worse.

Fleshman-Hillard was also mandated to hire a trainer to work on the president, to help improve his delivery. The firm was yet to deliver on that as at the time the document seen by this newspaper was filed.

A presidency source said the presidency has continued to retain the company for the foreign interview arrangement.

But Fleshman-Hillard could not be reached for comments Friday. Sarah Vellozi, who was the company’s contact for the project was not available on her desk the two times PREMIUM TIMES called her New York office. She is yet to return the calls.

Presidential spokesperson could not also be reached for comments.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/118430-exclusive-jonathan-spends-60000-to-arrange-cnn-interview.html

Its funny though, the President is yet to grant an exclusive interview to any of our Tv and radio stations. He prolly craves for international appeal hence he wants foreign countries to help solve Nigeria's problems. Its symptomatic of one lacking in self esteem!

Fleshman-Hillard was also mandated to hire a trainer to work on the president, to help improve his delivery.

Now that's funny, but I'm not gonna laugh...

take dat:

If this news is anything to go by, then I must say that it is as funny as hell!
Oh! My dear country!
How did thou find thyself in this sh*t!

Thanks to one Nigeria.

I laughed seriously when GEJ broke grammer during amanpour's interview, he said "before the bulb can light". Pls watch the interview again.

This clown (GEJ)claimed degrees should be taken from him, this guy no finish secondary school.
Well he is a true reflection of our educational system.

While OBJ shunned and blasted western medias, GEJ begged them to disgrace Nigeria and Nigerians in the face of the world.

can this be relate to his shoelessness when he was young?!

Even as I am allegic to his(GEJ) administration, i will assume this new as a trash!

he is encouragin media imperialism

maybe our president feels he governs the nigerians in the diaspora.
Little wonder Innoson motors and other dometic companies are not developing.
NTA, AIT, CHANNELS, SILVERBIRDS. Of all these, the president doesn't dim it fit to air his voice in any of them.
How many of the nigerian masses have a satellite dish to watch the foreign channels? Most of the masses only know about their local channels and NTA thanks to the long multidirectional movements of their over the tv and over the house antennae. Even if he is performing, how does he want the masses to know since they aren't aired on local channels?
Little wonder he brought facebook to nigeria and couldn't expand nairaland.

The report stinks of poo. . .and that's because it was plucked from the depths of the author's anus. Why should anyone take such nonsense seriously?

Walexz02: Even as I am allegic to his(GEJ) administration, i will assume this new as a trash!

Bro thank you. In as much as I am not happy with Gej's slow pace in his administration the propaganda against him is changing my mind not to believve any thrash as news just to bring this man down.
I guess you have a dstv and you followed the last world economic summit in davos, that was just what propped up the last interview with cnn like other african leaders were interviewed. So only Gej bribed abi?
The round table conference that I also watched that included zuma and other three top executives was. Bribed too. he was even answering from the audience, so the he bribed the audience too.
It is getting clearer day by day that some people are hell-bent on using propaganda to bring this $an down. I rest my case.

Lwkmm

i won't put anything past this government o

iluvnaija: I laughed seriously when GEJ broke grammer during amanpour's interview, he said "before the bulb can light". Pls watch the interview again.

This clown (GEJ)claimed degrees should be taken from him, this guy no finish secondary school.
Well he is a true reflection of our educational system.

Obviously he is a man wishing his compatriots well.
What is wrong with him wanting to light our bulbs,do you want the bulbs to dark? Only a winch want dark bulbs. If you continue like this I will report you to Bishop Oyedepo and you know what he does to winches

Then tell me why I shd not relocate my family to oversea? Note chad,niger,benin,togo,somalia,eritory, pakistan,iran,mali and hiati are not included in oversea o

One day one day, this man will be free from all these thrash thrown at him.

Why are we always quick to condemn anything GEJ does? Is it possible to spend that much,and what's the aim of spending that much. Nairalanders are slowpoke to believe this trash.believe this,believe anything.the super mods know that most NL members are f00ls,so they can put anything on frontpage,and get traffic.

Upon all the wasted scarce resources, this is all Jonathan could come up with
"BEFORE THE BULB COULD LIGHT"
Nigeria don suffer.

Media propaganda. And who are those behind the media propaganda?
The silly ranting pigheaded oppositions. Smh
Lets get this straight, GEJ will still win the 2015 general election with a bigger margin this time around to show you all that the people are solidly behind him.

pro01: The report stinks of poo. . .and that's because it was plucked from the depths of the author's anus. Why should anyone take such nonsense seriously?

Bros was the CNN interview done for free? Yes or No

Jonathan is the king and master of arangeee and settlement. He proved this repeatedly in the past.

Bigflamie: Media propaganda. And who are those behind the media propaganda?
The silly ranting pigheaded oppositions. Smh
Lets get this straight, GEJ will still win the 2015 general election with a bigger margin this time around to show you all that the people are solidly behind him.

Bwahwah....seems like you've been overpaid and the cash has scattered ur medulla. GEJ, winning in 2015? We shall see.

Here we go again... Governments all over the world retain the service of PR experts and consultants, both local and foreign, to help shore up government image both within and outside the country.

PR can come in different form, the interview with Christiane Amanpour is not an exception. Christiane has conducted interviews for Hilary Clintons, Robert Mugabe, Jacob Zuma, Hosni Mubarak, Bashar Al- Assad, Mahmoud Ahamadinejad and other world leaders in the past.

This is the norm everywhere, and to the quoted figure some posters are already ululating over, believe it, you believe anything...

He decided to use CNN just because of critics including myself that will always label NTA as PDP/FG propaganda machine... Name one media outlet in Nigeria that does not have its loyalty tilted towards one political party in Nigeria... He just want to be Neutral.. But if the report of paying for interviews is True then he really goofed... They are suppose to even pay him sef for that comedy show he ran on their network....

Clarifying things via MTN Crappy Network

jesus christ of nazareth!
It is now that I have come too the conclusioo that nairaland is all out to malign GEj and his government. They just banned me for no just cause just because i decided to set the records straight.
First of all before this thread hit front page. The topic of the thread was *gej bribes cnn with 60000 dollars to do his last intervie# and that was what the story in it was. Now the headline have changed and they have bring it to the front page.
I dare the moderators and seun the owner of this site to post my first post on this thread for everyone to see. I have no reason to be banned. They have changed the contents and headline of the news to suit them.
My only offence that they hid my post was to distort the claim that Gej bribed cnn with f0000dollars with facts. I dare the mods and seun to repost that my earlier post.

Now, on the matter at hand. There was a world economic summit that was held in davos switzerland were all the world leaders were present. Gej was interviewed live by cnn from davos switzerland. Those that have dstv and watch cnn would have watched all cnn interviews with world leaders during the economic summit. Jacob zuma,rwanda president kigame, zimbabwe pime minister tsvangirai were all interviewed by cnn from davos. Even russian prime minister medvedev,britain cameron and a host of other. World leaders were interviewed by cnn. So how did this pm news now singled out Gej's interview as bribed and arranged. I am really lost to say much. Is this not a propaganda to nail this man down. I am not a fan of Gej but I feel sorry for gullible nigerians who believe all this thrash.

I challenge all this detractors to bring out all the foriegn interviews Gej have granted. So the last interview in davos from cnn is a bribe and arrangement by all the world leaders. Now during the economic summit, there was a debate that had zuma, gej and three top world executive in attendance on the topic# de-risking africa#. Audience were also allowed to ask questions. So that one is also an arrangee?
I need explanations to the whole nairalanders by the mods on why I was banned and my post hidden. You can as well ban this my monicker again and hide this post to continue to decieve gullible nigerians with your propaganda.

Nigerians shd b wise n c d signs dat dis man is a noise maker.he has mo media aide dan any govt dat has eva ruled dis country,y? because he need dem 2 brainwash vulnerable Nigerians,dat he is perfomin.wastin our moni in payin dem,instead of elevatin nigerians outa poverty.

donchris33: jesus christ of nazareth!
It is now that I have come too the conclusioo that nairaland is all out to malign GEj and his government. They just banned me for no just cause just because i decided to set the records straight.
First of all before this thread hit front page. The topic of the thread was *gej bribes cnn with 60000 dollars to do his last intervie# and that was what the story in it was. Now the headline have changed and they have bring it to the front page.

I dare the moderators and seun the owner of this site to post my first post on this thread for everyone to see. I have no reason to be banned. They have changed the contents and headline of the news to suit them.

My only offence that they hid my post was to distort the claim that Gej bribed cnn with f0000dollars with facts. I dare the mods and seun to repost that my earlier post.

Now, on the matter at hand. There was a world economic summit that was held in davos switzerland were all the world leaders were present. Gej was interviewed live by cnn from davos switzerland.

Those that have dstv and watch cnn would have watched all cnn interviews with world leaders during the economic summit. Jacob zuma, rwanda president kigame, zimbabwe pime minister tsvangirai were all interviewed by cnn from davos. Even russian prime minister medvedev, britain cameron and a host of other. World leaders were interviewed by cnn. So how did this pm news now singled out Gej's interview as bribed and arranged. I am really lost to say much.

Is this not a propaganda to nail this man down. I am not a fan of Gej but I feel sorry for gullible nigerians who believe all this thrash.

I challenge all this detractors to bring out all the foriegn interviews Gej have granted.

So the last interview in davos from cnn is a bribe and arrangement by all the world leaders. Now during the economic summit, there was a debate that had zuma, gej and three top world executive in attendance on the topic #de-risking africa#. Audience were also allowed to ask questions. So that one is also an arrangee?

I need explanations to the whole nairalanders by the mods on why I was banned and my post hidden. You can as well ban this my monicker again and hide this post to continue to decieve gullible nigerians with your propaganda.

The chicanery of some powerful individuals on this forum beggar any reasonable beliefs.

Electricity Supply -> POWER? You'd think a Phd holder would at least know when to use "Electricity".

_{Thank goodness he didn't say "NEPA" anyways.}

@dplordx, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Keep on dreaming cos u're nt yet awake.

Bro! You didn't read this news when it was first posted on the poltics section. It read # Gej bribes cnn wiith 60000dollars foor interview# I explained to them how the interview was. Conducted with other world leaders by cnn from davos and they hid my post and banned me. I can't just believe this. I need an explanation from seun why I should be banned for no just cause.I dare them to repost that my initial post let the whole naiiralanders see. Now I belive that nairaland is a jooke.

Maxymilliano:

The chicanery of some powerful individuals on this forum beggar any reasonable beliefs.