“EFCC is a law abiding organization which discharges its duties not minding whose ox is gored. We do not shy away from our responsibilities. Where there is a case, we pursue it to logical conclusion, if there is no case, there is none, we move to other things. The motto of the Commission is “Nobody is Above the Law.”
These were the words of the South South Zonal head of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Ishaq Salilu, today, Friday when he addressed a group of protesters under the aegis of “Coalition of Civil Rights Organisations, Concerned Youths and the Ijaw Nation Worldwide,” on the controversy dogging the $15 Million which Dame Patience, wife of the immediate past Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan claimed belonged to her.
The protesters had thronged the Port Harcourt zonal office of the Commission where the zonal boss of the anti graft agency insisted that the agency is law abiding which discharges it duties without fear or favour, adding that as a creation of law, it will discharge its responsibilities within the ambits of the law.
Ishaq commended the protesters for the peaceful manner they conducted themselves and assured them that their letter will get to the appropriate authorities.
The protesters carrying placards with various inscriptions, such as “Patience is Innocent,” “How Many First Ladies have Been Tried in Nigeria,” “Mrs. Patience Jonathan Deserves Respect, Stop Embarrassing Her,” “EFCC Stop Victimizing Niger Delta People,” “EFCC How many corrupt Nigerians have been prosecuted and jailed,” and so on. They were led by Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, a self acclaimed ambassador.
Sukubo said that they were in the Commission to express their unhappiness and submit their letter of protest over what he called ill-treatment of the former first Lady.
“We, as coalition of Niger Delta Civil Rights Organization, Concerned youths and Ijaw Nation World Wide, hereby, demand that the EFCC should stay off Mrs. Patience Goodluck Jonathan, as there is no established legal or political precedent for what EFCC is currently doing to Mrs Patience Jonathan.”
Mrs. Jonathan recently instituted an action against the EFCC claiming that the money placed on “Post-No-Debit category” in the accounts of four companies currently being prosecuted on money laundering charge by the Commission, belonged to her. [myad]
