Stop persecution of Jonathan’s family, IYC tells EFCC

The umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to stop the persecution of former President Goodluck Jonathan and his family members.

The IYC advised the anti-graft agency to carry out its duties through due process instead of engaging in media charade and blackmail.

The President of IYC, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, who spoke at a news conference in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Thursday, expressed sadness at the manner the EFCC was denigrating the former first family.

He wondered at how the EFCC had yet to learn from its poor handling of the alleged graft case involving former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.

Eradiru said instead of the EFCC to focus on facts and do their job via due process, they quickly went to the media and that incident had led the country to its current economic mess, noting that the country had lost about N2trn.

He called on the anti-graft agency to stop blackmailing Dame Patience Jonathan, saying that the call on her to explain how she made her money was a witch-hunt.

He said, “First Ladies in Nigeria do not do any work. You know what it is; a woman naturally attracts a lot of gifts from men, let alone the First Lady who has the power to recommend people for something.

“They receive a lot of ‘Thank you’ and gratification because in most cases they recommend people. Those they recommended usually come back and say thank you ma. Even when they do not recommend, people can go and say thank you with a million dollars.

“The scenario did not start with Dame Patience Jonathan. We know how influential the former First Lady before her was and other first ladies –  how powerful, how rich, how wealthy they were as a result of gratification because they were Presidents’ wives. That is how they amass their wealth.

“If you say Patience Jonathan should go and show how she made her money, then, you must first start with all the other former First Ladies before her, otherwise it is a witch-hunt.”