$40,000 PAYMENT: CNN DISOWNS US FIRM OVER JONATHAN’S INTERVIEW

The Cable News Network (CNN), has denied being paid, or contacted by American lobbying firm, Fleishman-Hillard, for a 2010 interview with President Goodluck Jonathan, contradicting the firm’s claim that it contacted CNN, and other media for a string of interviews, the Premium Times reports.

According to the online medium, Fleishman-Hillard, contracted through a Nigerian consultant to the presidency, Caser’s group, was to receive $58,200 to pitch interviews with advocacy groups, and major media outlets including Reuters, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN and Bloomberg.

JONATHAN’S CNN INTERVIEWS PRIVATE INITIATIVE – PRESIDENCY

The presidency said yesterday that the interviews the United States (US) Cable News Network (CNN) had with President Goodluck Jonathan were entirely a private initiative by an American public relations firm, Fleishman-Hillard.
It said the federal government didn’t pay a dime to facilitate them.

It was reacting to a story by LEADERSHIP on Thursday, in which the paper quoted a report by an online media, Premium Times as saying that Fleishman-Hillard Inc had admitted that it arranged the CNN interview for Jonathan at the cost of $40,000 and not the $60,000 initially fixed for the exercise.

WE RECEIVED $40,000 FOR JONATHAN’S CNN INTERVIEW — US FIRM

A United States-based communication firm, Fleishman-Hillard Inc, has admitted that it arranged a Cable News Network (CNN) interview for President Goodluck Jonathan for a fee, claiming, however, that it only received $40,000 and not the $60,000 as initially agreed, an online medium, the Premium Times, reports.

According to the online outfit, the US firm made this revelation in an email reply to its enquiries, adding that parts of planned “communication services”, including media interviews for the president in 2010, were later suspended, with equivalent $20,000 reduction in its fees.

AMANPOUR LIKENS SUPER BOWL OUTAGE TO NIGERIAN SITUATION

CNN's Chief International Correspondent and anchor of Amanpour, a nightly foreign affairs programme on CNN International, Christiane Amanpour, on Monday night cynically likened a 35-minute blackout at Super Bowl to a regular feature in Nigeria.

She, however, said her submission was the position of Nigerians who had reacted to the development immediately news of the blackout hit the airwaves by reaching out to the CNN.

As millions of viewers watched Sunday's Super Bowl during the third quarter in New Orleans, the United States, there was a power outage at the Super Dome midway through the game for about 35 minutes. When electricity supply was eventually restored, the Baltimore Ravens defeated the 49ers.

POWER PROVISION, MY MAIN ACHIEVEMENT – JONATHAN

President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the provision of electricity has been the key achievement of his government since coming to power.

Fielding questions from CNN’s Christine Amanpour last night, Jonathan debunked criticisms that at least 60 percent of Nigerians lack electricity for their day-to-day activities.

“I would have loved that you asked an ordinary Nigerian on the streets of Lagos, Abuja and any other city this question about power,” he told Ms Amanpour, who had reminded him about a promise he made during her first interview with him three years ago that the main issues he would focus on as president of Nigeria were corruption and electicity.

Last night he said: “That is one area that Nigerians are quite pleased with the government – that our commitment to improve power is working. So, if you’re saying something different I am really surprised. That is one area – one area – that even civil society members agree that government has kept faith with its promise.”

The president, however, admitted: “We have not got to where we should be” on the provision of electricity.