$20m DISCOVERY: WILL PATIENCE JONATHAN BE PROBED?
Sat Sep 17, 2016 09:16:am Opinion
5.9K By Buchi Obichie
A friend of mine recently posted something funny on Facebook. He said
while it takes a graduate 100years to make $300,000, it takes a drug
dealer 2 days to make $300,000, and a politician makes that amount in
just 24hours. But then, if a politician makes $300,000 in one day, how
long does it take the wife of a politician to make $300,000? No,
scratch that; how much time does the wife of a politician need to make
$20m?
Let's ask a former First Lady!
The EFCC stumbled into something of a tricky situation lately when the process of investigation for financial crimes of an aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamowei Dudafa, led to the searchlight being beamed on the former President;s wife, Patience.
Four Skye Bank company accounts opened by Dudafa were found holding a total of about $15.6m. A No Debit Order was subsequently placed on the accounts, as Dudafa was being investigated for money laundering. All of a sudden, Mrs. Jonathan stepped forward, claiming ownership of the funds in the accounts.
Apparently, the accounts had been opened on behalf of the former First Lady- to hold her funds using the 4 companies as somewhat of a decoy. The process of opening the accounts were fraudulent in themselves, as Dudafa had used domestic workers as fronts. But then, the bigger question which everyone was asking was this: How does a former First Lady amass millions of dollars in the space of a few years? Keep in mind that an extra $5m was later found in a 5th account belonging to Mrs. Jonathan.
The office of the First Lady, going by the constitution, does not come with monthly remuneration. A politician's wife- in any level- is not a paid position; officially speaking. So what exactly did Patience Jonathan do, to get $20m? And that was just the monies held in one bank we havent even thought about the other banks in which she operates accounts!
Prominent Nigerians including Prof. Itse Sagay, have called for the probe of Mrs. Jonathan. In the word's of Sagay, "if she is claiming the money belongs to her, she has put herself in a position where she must explain how she earned it".
As the situation unfolded, there was then chatter that the EFCC may seize the Bayelsa hotel- Aridolf Resort Wellness and Spa- worth about N10bn, which also belongs to Mrs. Jonathan.
Pause¦ breathe! continue.
How did a former First Lady become so rich?
The UK Financial Times even compiled a report stating that the hotel which was inaugurated just a month before the end of her husband's tenure, could "compete with other luxury hotels in developed countries".
Can we assume that Mrs. Jonathan was being paid wads of cash each month as First Lady? Was she awarding contracts to herself using the office of First lady? Or did the money come from the heavily criticized campaign slush fund for the 2015 elections? To the best of our knowledge, Patience Jonathan has never been a big-time businesswoman; so how did she become so wealthy?
It is quite saddening to be hit with the realization that our nation is (or was) so lawless that even the wife of a politician can profit from the national purse, to the detriment of most of the populace.
And then, in the midst of the outrage, Mrs. Jonathan had the presence of mind to shamelessly file a N200m suit against Skye Bank for her inability to operate the account! What effrontery!
Where do we go from here now? If President Buhari is sincere about the War Against Corruption, then there is no logical reason why the former First Lady should not be made to answer important questions. When does this impunity end? She says she has documents to prove that she didn't get the cash through illegal means.We are all still waiting to see what the EFCC does next!
Let's ask a former First Lady!
The EFCC stumbled into something of a tricky situation lately when the process of investigation for financial crimes of an aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamowei Dudafa, led to the searchlight being beamed on the former President;s wife, Patience.
Four Skye Bank company accounts opened by Dudafa were found holding a total of about $15.6m. A No Debit Order was subsequently placed on the accounts, as Dudafa was being investigated for money laundering. All of a sudden, Mrs. Jonathan stepped forward, claiming ownership of the funds in the accounts.
Apparently, the accounts had been opened on behalf of the former First Lady- to hold her funds using the 4 companies as somewhat of a decoy. The process of opening the accounts were fraudulent in themselves, as Dudafa had used domestic workers as fronts. But then, the bigger question which everyone was asking was this: How does a former First Lady amass millions of dollars in the space of a few years? Keep in mind that an extra $5m was later found in a 5th account belonging to Mrs. Jonathan.
The office of the First Lady, going by the constitution, does not come with monthly remuneration. A politician's wife- in any level- is not a paid position; officially speaking. So what exactly did Patience Jonathan do, to get $20m? And that was just the monies held in one bank we havent even thought about the other banks in which she operates accounts!
Prominent Nigerians including Prof. Itse Sagay, have called for the probe of Mrs. Jonathan. In the word's of Sagay, "if she is claiming the money belongs to her, she has put herself in a position where she must explain how she earned it".
As the situation unfolded, there was then chatter that the EFCC may seize the Bayelsa hotel- Aridolf Resort Wellness and Spa- worth about N10bn, which also belongs to Mrs. Jonathan.
Pause¦ breathe! continue.
How did a former First Lady become so rich?
The UK Financial Times even compiled a report stating that the hotel which was inaugurated just a month before the end of her husband's tenure, could "compete with other luxury hotels in developed countries".
Can we assume that Mrs. Jonathan was being paid wads of cash each month as First Lady? Was she awarding contracts to herself using the office of First lady? Or did the money come from the heavily criticized campaign slush fund for the 2015 elections? To the best of our knowledge, Patience Jonathan has never been a big-time businesswoman; so how did she become so wealthy?
It is quite saddening to be hit with the realization that our nation is (or was) so lawless that even the wife of a politician can profit from the national purse, to the detriment of most of the populace.
And then, in the midst of the outrage, Mrs. Jonathan had the presence of mind to shamelessly file a N200m suit against Skye Bank for her inability to operate the account! What effrontery!
Where do we go from here now? If President Buhari is sincere about the War Against Corruption, then there is no logical reason why the former First Lady should not be made to answer important questions. When does this impunity end? She says she has documents to prove that she didn't get the cash through illegal means.We are all still waiting to see what the EFCC does next!
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