So just how did Patience Jonathan find herself with a mega sum of $20 million. That has been the bone of contention in a lot of beer parlors in Lagos particularly for staunch supporters of the former President.
We have heard several theories but this one here as reported by Punch by a former Governor provides a different dimension to the theory.
According to the Punch, a self-professed solicitor to Dame Patience Jonathan, Mr.. Charles Ogboli, says the $20m found in the five accounts traced to Patience could have been given to her by her husband, former President Goodluck Jonathan. Here is his direct quote
“They have gone ahead to put a no debit order on her personal account which is unfair. My question is this: Being a former first lady and being a woman whose husband was the deputy governor of Bayelsa State, thereafter governor, thereafter Vice-President then President, are you now telling me, if we want to go through the figures her husband received in salaries, estacodes and allowances received in all these years, her husband would not be able to give his wife money, even if it is $20m? If we want to fight, let us fight justly.”
So, in the 21st century Nigeria, $20 million dollars is just one of those monies earned by ex Presidents from estacodes, salaries and allowances and can be dashed away just like that.
But then, that theory may actually not be so wrong considering how rich some of our ex president’s actually are. Since no court has ever convicted them of corruption or question how they get so rich after leaving office, who knows, maybe that money is justifiably earned. After all, if a “common” Perm Sec can retire so rich, why not an immediate past president.
I think I need to get my head examined.
Source: Jonathan could have given $20m to Patience, says lawyer