CORRUPTION IN THE NAME OF THE DEAD AND THE LIVING By Matthew Akhere

In explaining the ownership of the $31.4m registered using 4 phony companies, Patience Jonathan said: “I have explained that the accounts were opened to facilitate her travel overseas, particularly for medical treatment, sundry purchase for herself and her late mother Mrs. Charity Oba (Mama Sisi)."

When people started wondering why did she open them under phony companies if truly the monies were legitimately acquired, Patience Jonathan indicted the living. She said:

“It was in 2014 or thereabout that she was given the ATM cards for all the five accounts, with the bank officials promising to exchange the cards for the four reflecting her correct names. This again, the bank officials failed to do despite her repeated request."

Thrust Nigerians, following her lies against the living, questions sprang up. For instance:

1. As a first lady and considering her great influence why should correcting the ATM cards to reflect her correct names be a problem and not corrected in 2 years?  In today's Nigerian banking, it doesn't take more than 21 working days!

2.  As a first lady who is a role model to the Nigerian youth, why knowingly engage in transactions with phony names? This is an offense in itself.

Not convinced by her explanations, Nigerians began to probe further. They wanted to know the source of her wealth. They wanted to know how she came about slush fund. Like a typical Nigerian politician, Patience Jonathan's rented sing-praising and pressure groups began to speak for her. One of them, the Ijaw youth, said:

“If you say Patience should show how she made her money, you must start with all the First Ladies, otherwise, it is a witch-hunt. Patience Jonathan got her wealth from thank you and there is nowhere in the law that says we should not receive thank you."

But sensing that the lies would not fly with Nigerians, Patience Jonathan gave a bombshell, lying against the dead, her late mother. The ex-First Lady’s counsel appeared on the Channels Television discussion programme, Sunrise and said:

“That is not true. The First Lady did not hold five accounts. They are three accounts. The First Lady was  the signatory of one account and the mother was a signatory to the other two accounts."

This Patience Jonathan corruption case typifies the extent corrupt politicians and public office holders go to preserve and keep their stolen money. They do all sort of things, lying against the dead and the living to hold tight to their ill-gotten wealth. This is how corruption fights back using the name of the dead and the living.