Posted on: 04:45 Mon, 26 Sep 2016



– Comrade Timi Frank has said that Nigeria’s ex-First Lady, Patience Jonathan is not above the law

– The scribe of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said Dame Patience is not above the law

– Timi Frank has asked the ex-First Lady to go clear her name before the EFCC

Chief scribe of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank has said that there is nothing wrong in trying Patience Jonathan for alleged fraud.

The acting National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Comrade asked Nigeria’s former First-lady, Dame Patience Jonathan to go clear her name before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) rather than resorting to under-hand tactics to armtwist the anti-graft agency into doing her bidding.

Frank in a statement issued Sunday, September 25 in Abuja, said the immediate-past First-lady is not above the law, describing as shameful, threats by a Niger Delta militant group and the protest at the Port Harcourt zonal office of the EFCC in support of Mrs Jonathan, over the freezing of her dollar account containing about $31.4 million.

“My candid advice to Mrs Patience Jonathan is to apologize to Nigerians for the current economic hardship which Mr Jonathan’s regime could have easily averted instead of sponsoring shameless protests against the government; anyway, Nigerians are still waiting for the apology”, he said.

The statement warned the youth to desist from such shameless act of defending politicians for a pot of porridge, adding that the present APC administration is fighting corruption so as to secure the future for them.

Frank, a native of Bayelsa state, said it is surprising that Mrs Jonathan had such an amount of money in her custody while people from her region were dying from water-borne diseases, saying, it took President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for example, to recently commission a water project even in Otuoke, Bayelsa state, the hometown of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“The show of shame called protest at the Port Harcourt office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC to demand the unfreezing of Mrs Jonathan’s dollar accounts was uncalled for and there is nothing wrong if the former first lady explains the source of $31.4 million to the anti-corruption agency.

“The country is at present going through recession as a result of the mismanagement of the economy left behind by Patience Jonathan’s husband-led administration which APC is working hard to correct as soon as possible.

“It should be made clear that there is nothing wrong for EFCC to invite Mrs Patience Jonathan for questioning if the organization suspects a foul play in accumulation of such big amount of money.

“Again, the era of being above the law is over. This is a change government of accountability where the rule of law is paramount. The number four citizen of this country today, Senate President Bukola Saraki, whose office is prominently recognized by the constitution is facing trial not to talk of one former first lady which the Nigerian constitution does not recognize.

“Again, we should also remind those who have forgotten that a national leader of APC, who was once the vice president of this nation, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was once investigated. So, why must Mrs Jonathan’s case be different?
“We call on the leadership of the EFCC not to feel threatened in carrying out its official duty and ensure that whoever is caught in the web is properly brought to book,” he concluded.

In the same vein, The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to invite the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience Jonathan, after freezing her personal account with a balance of $5m as well as four other accounts linked to her with a balance of $15.6m.

Sources at the EFCC told Sunday Punch that detectives had visited the bank where the accounts were opened and had obtained the files containing Patience’s information.

The detectives have been able to establish a prima facie case of money laundering and forgery against Patience.