CACOL urges EFCC to take action over $40m linked to Patience Jonathan

7 years ago

CACOL urges EFCC to take action over $40m linked to Patience Jonathan

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, has requested the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to invite former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, to explain how she came about the $40m found in bank accounts linked to her.
Speaking through its Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, the group noted that recent media reports claim that Mrs Jonathan was involved in acts of money laundering and forgery, which became public knowledge after the EFCC froze bank accounts belonging to the former first lady with a total balance of $15m.

The wife of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan however reacted to this by giving the Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC a 14 day-ultimatum with effect from September 18 to lift the embargo placed on her accounts and also tender a public apology. http://dailypost.ng/2016/09/20/15m-scandal-patience-jonathan-gives-efcc-14-days-unfreeze-account/

But Adeniran, in a statement on Tuesday, pointed out that, “during the tenure of the Jonathan administration, there was no constitutionally recognized office for the first lady; hence, there was no financial allocation to that effect. This opens a door of questions on how such funds ended up in the control of Mrs. Jonathan.”

“We demand a logical explanation from Patience Jonathan to these allegations and discoveries. It should not be a case whereby those who go into government with nothing come out with the wealth of the nation as their only accomplishments. And we are reiterating our call to the EFCC to carry out its constitutional duty by inviting Mrs. Jonathan for interrogation over these obviously inexplicable funds.”

While commending the EFCC for it efforts over the past one year, the Chairman of CACOL said, “the Commission must wake up to its constitutionally backed duties, because the fight against corruption must achieve convictions which will serve as deterrent to other corrupt elements in the country”.

He continued, “The Patience Jonathan case is another test case for the anti-corruption drive of this regime, it will reveal whether indeed some ‘criminals’ are superior to the others in the battle to rid our country of corruption. We assert that Madam Jonathan has no constitutional immunity to interrogation, investigation and even prosecution!”

“It is time to not just say ‘enough is enough’, we must act it out, to give the bite needed to confront corruption, as long as our actions are within the ambit of the laws. The former first lady has a lot of explaining to do as regards these allegations and hopefully this would not be another corruption case that would be established by the EFCC in the media only to be forgotten about like so many others.” Adeniran concluded