ILLNESS: Controversy As Jonathan Pays 'Private' Visit To Germany

Speculations were rife on Wednesday that the trip of President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, to Germany which the Presidency described as "a private visit" might be on health grounds.The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, had on Tuesday issued a statement indicating that Jonathan would leave Abuja for Germany en-route to Paris, France to participate in the Summit on Peace and Security in Africa.Abati said the President would stop over in Germany for a private visit on his way to Paris and return to Abuja at the conclusion of the summit on Saturday.The announcement of the "private visit" cominga few weeks after he fell sick in London, fuelled speculation that Jonathan might have decided to visit the same German hospital where his wife sought medical attention for about seven weeks last year.Since he was accompanied by Patience, speculations were also rife that she might use the opportunity of the visit to undergo a medical check-up.The fears were further confirmed on Wednesday when it was discovered that many of the President's close aides, who usually accompany him on foreign trips, did not travel with him.It was learnt that some of them might join the President in Paris later in the week.The social media were on Wednesday awash with reports of the motive of President's German trip.Although Jonathan fell sick during his recent trip to London and was treated of severe abdominal pains , he had since his return been attending state functions.Efforts to get Abati to speak on the President's alleged visit to a German hospital did not yield any positive result as of 10pm on Wednesday.When contacted on the telephone, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said he could not comment on the matter because he had not established contact with the President abroad.It would be recalled that the President during the burial of his second cousin, when he was still deputy governor of Bayelsa state had said a story was told of how anybody in his community, who was attaining prominence always died mysteriously.Jonathan had added that all eyes were focusedon him, apparently insinuating that it was his time to die.He said he had prayed hard that he would not die young and God had answered him.