Probe: Why The Near Future Of Goodluck Jonathan Could Be Behind Bars

Editor’s note: Since the All Progressives Congress (APC) led – administration was sworn in on May 29, the media has been saturated with news of alleged corruption in high places perpetuated by the past administration of Goodluck Jonathan. While these allegations are yet to be verified by a court of competent jurisdiction , it is of note that these allegations are weighty and should note be swept under the carpet. 

Goodluck Jonathan

The near future of Goodluck Jonathan could be behind bars if a court of law finds him guilty of corruption and financial recklessness alleged by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government to have been carried out under administration.

While some may be tempted to accuse President Muhammadu Buhari of demonizing and blackmailing the outgone regime to score cheap political points, it is of note that these allegations have been backed by facts which can be verified.

The Damning Revelation

President Buhari recently returned from a four day visit to the United States where he had discussions with his American counterpart, Barrack Obama on issues bothering on the two countries.

The the meeting between the two leaders included extensive bilateral talks where the US promised to work with Nigeria in with strong socio-economic support programmes. The US also promised to lend it support to Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, in addition to rebuilding the Nigerian economy.

But the highlights of Buhari’s US visit was the revelations by the president that Goodluck Jonathan allegedly oversaw one of the most corrupt governments Nigeria has ever had.

During the trip, Buhari disclosed at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC in an interacting with Nigerians in Diaspora that his administration had begun receiving documents to prosecute Jonathan’s ministers and other government officials who stole “mind-boggling” oil funds.

In a Punch report dated JULY 23, 2015, Buhari reportedly said the documents at his disposal indicted some former ministers and other top government officials of massive fraud, including oil theft.

“The amount of money is mind-boggling but we have started getting documents. We have started getting documents where some of the senior people in government, former ministers, some of them operated as much as five accounts and were moving about one million barrels per day on their own. We have started getting those documents.

 “I assure you that whichever documents we are able to get and subsequently trace the sale of the crude or transfer of money from ministries, departments, Central Bank, we will ask for the cooperation of those countries to return those monies to the Federation Accounts,” the president said.

While the allegations against Jonathan’s former ministers are yet to be verified, they should not be trivialized on the ground that the president is on a vendetta mission because Buhari has developed a reputation of not speaking anyhow.

While serving as president, Goodluck Jonathan once lamented that about 300,000-400,000 barrels of oil was being lost on daily as a result of crude oil theft. On another occasion, in an interview with Amanpour of CNN, he pleaded with the international community to help Nigeria combat oil theft which he said was done in league with some foreign help.

But the recent revelations by Buhari has not only indicted the previous ministers who served under Jonathan, but Jonathan himself, who has been accused of creating an enabling environment for these plunders to loot the nation’s treasury.

Jonathan: Giulty Or Not Guilty?

While Jonathan cried foul and pointed accusing fingers at the international community for not doing enough to help Nigeria combat oil theft, he refused to scrutinize his so called ministers who have now been accused of championing the oil theft.

Facts have shown that Goodluck Jonathan is either by commission or omission culpable in the massive corruption allegedly perpetrated in the country during his tenure.

In February 2014, the immediate past governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido, wrote to then President Goodluck Jonathan, alleging that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had failed to remit $20bn being part of the income it generated from the sale of crude oil to the Federation Account.

But Jonathan chose to side with his ministers and interpreted Sanusi’s letter as an attempt to discredit his administration. The allegations culminated in a surprise suspension of Sanusi by Jonathan.

In February 2015, Chukwuma Soludo, another former CBN boss in an article titled ‘Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the missing trillions’, alleged that the sum of N30 trillion had been stolen under the watch of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. But rather than address the issues raised by Soludo in his article, Dr Iweala came smoking hot, asserting that Soludo performed poorly as governor of the Central Bank during his tenure as governor. The Jonathan administration again failed woefully in convincing Nigerians that no funds were lost.

He Who Comes To Equity Must Come With Cleans Hands

The alleged financial recklessness exhibited by the Jonathan administration was brought to limelight following the defeat suffered by the former president and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the March 28 and April 11 elections.

A report in The Punch of APRIL 19, 2015, reported that Jonathan after his loss, asked the party and government officials, who handled campaign funds, to refund unspent monies, or those not judiciously expended.

The newspaper citing sources within the party reported that over N2tr in cash was distributed to campaign coordinators, ministers, special advisers, close aides and friends, support groups and traditional rulers, all in a bid to win the elections.

Even though Jonathan has denied these allegations, the frantic efforts being put by him to avoid a probe by President Muhammadu Buhari on how $2.1billion was illegally withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA), during his tenure, among other alleged corrupt deeds has raised suspicion.

A report in The Nation dated July 15, 2015, said Jonathan was greatly disturbed by Buhari’s determination to probe his administration. He was said to have protested to the Gen. Abubakar Abdulsalami National Peace Committee for 2015 general elections to stop the probe of the whereabouts of the $4billion taxes and dividends paid by the Nigerian Liquified Natural gas Ltd between 2009 and 2014.

Another matter that has gotten Jonathan and his ministers afraid according to sources, another probe on how the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) under his watch allegedly blew N3.8trillion in three years.

As if trying to hide skeletons in his cupboard, Jonathan shortly before Buhari was sworn in begged the incoming president not to single his administration out for probe.

Hiding under the excuse of witch hunt, he said if Buhari must investigate him and his administration, he should do the same for the past governments from 1960 up to this time.

The question begging for answers is, If Jonathan is as innocent as he claims, why he is doing all in his power to avoid probe?

He who comes to equity must come with cleans hands, but are Jonathan’s hands clean? Only a genuine probe would establish this.

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