Jonathan Didn’t Fire Me, I Resigned -Barth Nnaji

Prof. Barth Nnaji, a former minister of power, has denied being fired by former president Goodluck Jonathan over allegations of corruption.

Nnaji, who issued the denial while speaking with journalists in Lagos on Thursday, described as incorrect the claims made to the effect by Reno Omokri, former senior special assistant to the ex-president on new media.

The former minister said he resigned from Jonathan’s administration to protect his integrity, adding that he’s still in possession of his letter of resignation.

“If you want to defend your boss, defend your boss correctly with facts. Do not go to impugn people’s character in order to defend your boss. I have not made any statement against anybody and I know exactly what happened in that place,” Nnaji said in reaction to Omokri’s claim.

He continued: “There have been numerous reports about what transpired and I was very clear that those who were vested in the sector were out to get what they wanted. And all of you can see it today. Some of them did get what they wanted and I didn’t want to be part of any of that. That is why I resigned.

“So, anybody saying anything else is trying to find a way to deflect issues and it shouldn’t be an innocent person – somebody who came to serve his country and everybody knows what I did and the quality of work I did in the sector. There is absolutely nothing like that.

“I resigned; I have a letter of resignation, which I tendered to the president and I issued a statement, stating why I was resigning; that I didn’t want my integrity to be tampered with. It was very clear; it is public knowledge; you people reported it.

“It is actually quite funny. First, the presidential aide was not there when the president and I discussed my resignation and I have my letter of resignation and I resigned.”

Nnaji said two days after his resignation, Jonathan was queried about his exit, and he admitted that he (Nnaji) “committed no offence”.

Omokri in a missive published recently had claimed that former president Jonathan fired two of his ministers in the persons of Nnaji and Senator Stella Oduah just because their names were mentioned in corruption scandals.