AS JONATHAN’S PATIENCE DANCES MAKOSSA WITH EFCC
The
last time I checked, the erstwhile Nigerian first lady, Mrs. Dame Patience
Jonathan was seriously dancing makossa with the country’s famous anti-graft
agency Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in such a manner that
everyone earnestly looks forward to seeing how the fascinating music would end.
It’s not anymore news that on 18th
April 2016, upon request by the EFCC, the former Senior Special Assistant (SSA)
to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs in the person of Mr.
Waripamowei Dudafa was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport
Lagos State by the Nigerian Security Operatives – DSS, over alleged Money Laundering,
while attempting to travel out of the country, having evaded arrest on several
occasions.
It was
gathered that the aide was on the anti-graft agency’s wanted-list for his
alleged involvement in the sharing of #10 billion to delegates during the
December 2014 presidential primaries of the then ruling People’s Democratic
Party (PDP). Mr. Dudafa allegedly converted the money into US dollars,
amounting to $47 million, and distributed it among delegates from the 36 states
alongside the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Investigations revealed that the
fund was part of the alleged $2 billion meant for the purchase of arms but
which authorities said was shared as slush funds by politicians via the office of
the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki. It’s noteworthy that
the case in question is currently being entertained by the Federal High Court
in Lagos State.
Thereafter, in July, some discovered alleged
fraudulent bank accounts worth $31.4 million, linked to the defendant, were
frozen by the EFCC, upon court’s directive as claimed by the commission.
However, the former First lady Mrs. Patience Jonathan claimed ownership of the
frozen accounts, stating that she was the sole signatory to the affected
accounts. On 6th September, she consequently, through her counsel,
demanded a court declaration that the respondents have breached her fundamental
human rights as a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by placing a No
Debit/Freezing Order on the accounts ‘without any court order’, or ‘serving any
prior notice’ to her, thus prayed for #200 million compensation.
In response to her fascinating claim, the
EFCC stated thus, ‘We did not know that the accounts belonged to Patience
Jonathan at the time we froze them. The accounts do not bear her name neither
do they carry her Bank Verification Number (BVN). So, how can she accuse us of
harassment?’ It would interest, perhaps shock you to acknowledge that the four
accounts in question, lodged with Skye Bank Plc, are reportedly in the name of
four different companies namely, Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd.;
Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd.; Trans Ocean Property
and Investment Company Ltd.; as well as Avalon Global Integrated Service Ltd.
Intriguingly, Mrs. Jonathan had since
2010 been reportedly using the credit cards of the accounts and operating them
without any hitch. According to the report, even in May, June and July 2016
respectively, she travelled abroad for medical treatment and was using the
cards over there, up till July 7 or thereabouts when the cards cease to
function, probably owing to the No Debit Order issued on the accounts.
Nevertheless, we reliably learnt that the claimer has written the EFCC amidst
the ongoing court proceedings, precisely on 14th September 2016, ‘begging’
for the ban to be lifted, saying that $15 million out of the $31.4 million in
the controversial accounts were for the medical bills she incurred in London,
UK in 2013. It’s worthy to note that she have refuted the report, saying that
she never wrote the EFCC let alone tendering a plea. Amazing; isn’t it?
During the last court sitting held in
Lagos State by the Federal High Court, the woman in question accused the EFCC
of hiring mercenaries to testify against her – a claim which was outrightly
rebutted by the latter. In various quarters, many Nigerians were left with no
option than to speculate that there must be something very fishy taking place,
considering how things are going.
Well, it’s worth noting that there are
fundamental matters arising from the ongoing melodrama scripted by the EFCC and
the ex-first lady. First; why were the accounts opened in those companies’
names? Since it is claimed that the accounts possess a sole signatory, why then
were they opened with misleading names? Funnily enough, we have learnt that the
aforementioned firms lacked addresses; suffice it to say that their localities
were not tendered to the bank. We are not unaware that on no ground would a
domiciliary corporate account be opened without tendering tangible addresses.
So, how do we reconcile this?
Another pertinent inquiry is: why did
the claimer wait for over one month before filing a claim in the law court?
According to records, the accounts were frozen in the first week of July, but
she filed the claim in the Lagos High Court on September 6; the interval was
almost two months, or more, if I’m not mistaken. No matter the degree of the
consultations that were made prior to putting up the claim, the duration ought
not to have lasted so long, because such issue involving finance required an
urgent attention.
Among all, why would the claimer plead
with the EFCC to lift the ban/order while the court is still hearing her
appeal, thereby contradicting the ongoing prosecution? Considering that she has
refuted the reports, one may ask; did the press just fabricate the purported
news? Besides, what kind of medical treatment(s) would result to such amount of
money? Though I’m just thinking aloud, all the parties involved really need to
look into this complicating angle critically.
We equally learnt that the EFCC went
further to freeze the personal account worth $5 million in Skye Bank belonging
to the former first lady, due to its questionable features. It was gathered
that the account’s name was ‘Patience Ibifaka Jonathan’. Against this backdrop,
some Niger-Delta youths under the auspices of Ijaw Nations Worldwide recently
took a protest to the EFCC’s Port-Harcourt office ordering the anti-graft body
to, with immediate effect, defreeze the frozen accounts, claiming that the
victim acquired her wealth via gifts, gratifications, and what have you.
As much as I owe the ex-first lady (Jonathan’s
Patience) an explicit respect, I would as well like her to comprehend fully
that all eyes are on her person as long as this energetic dance lingers. I am
strongly convinced that she’s surrounded by many astute legal luminaries, hence
I expect her to realize the best comment to make, or action to take, at any
given time, and how best to present it. That is one of the rudimentary
obligations of one’s lawyer, and not just filing cases at the court of law on
his/her behalf and awaiting a victory.
The EFCC, on its part, must equally be
very careful on how it handles the issue. Any sensitive matter in the public
domain requires not only experienced hands, but tactical and convincing
approach. We must note that Nigerians are keenly and dispassionately watching
the makossa dance; and I bet you, they are willing to observe till the end.
Think about it!
Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor
(TheMediaAmbassador)
-Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights
activist-
Chief Executive
Director, Centre for Counselling, Research
& Career Development
- Owerri
_____________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
Twitter: @mediambassador
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