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‘Tell Nigerians how you made $31 million’ – NLC to Patience Jonathan

The Nigeria Labour Congress has challenged the wife of the former President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, to disclose how she made the $31m found in some accounts recently frozen by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, told journalists on the sidelines of ‘NLC National Youth Conference’ in Abuja on Tuesday, that the former First Lady had a responsibility to prove to Nigerians that the money in question was legitimately earned.

Wabba also challenged Mrs. Jonathan to tell Nigerians the kind of business she had been doing to make such a huge amount of money.

The NLC’s President said the former First Lady would have been made to forfeit the money to the government in other countries.

He said it had always been the position of the NLC that all those who stole public funds should be duly investigated and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.

He urged the government to extend the fight against corruption to states and local government areas in the country.

“We have said it over and over again that NLC is the first organisation that actually supported openly the anti-graft war. We said recover, investigate and prosecute so that it can serve as a deterrent.

Our position has been clear on the issue of the frozen $31m. In this respect, the onus of prove is on the ex-First Lady. First, she must inform all of us the sources of the money. She must explain what business she has done to accumulate such wealth. In other climes, people would have forfeited such funds. This is our position and we have always been consistent about it.

“If you look at it critically, that is why we are where we are today. Salaries are not paid in many states not because the resources are not there but because of the inherent corruption in the system.

“Corruption fight should also be extended to states and local governments. Wherever there is element of corruption, whoever is involved, the law must take its course.

“There should be investigation. There should be fair trial within the confines of the law and whoever is found wanting, those funds should be recovered and prosecution should follow to serve as a deterrent.”

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