Patience Jonathan reacts to new corruption claims linked to late mother

 

Former first lady Patience Jonathan has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to let her late mother, Charity Oba, who has been linked to a property under investigation, rest in peace.

She also denied claims by the EFCC that the N 2.1 billion Magel Resort Ltd property was owned by her. She said the hotel was only ‘handed over’ to her after the demise of her mother.

Mrs. Jonathan, who is under investigation, made the call on Thursday via a statement issued by her Chief Press Secretary, Belema Meshack-Hart. She also dismissed another allegation by the EFCC of a N200 million IT contract awarded to Magel Resort LTD as a figment of the imagination.

The statement read in part: “We wish to state categorically that the allegations are false and a grand design by EFCC to tarnish the image of the former first lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan.

In their concocted report, they claimed that the former first lady is a sole signatory of Magel Resort Ltd, a hotel owned by her late mum, Mama Charity Oba. This is untrue as the former first lady had no dealings with the hotel until the demise of her late mum after which the hotel was handed over to her with the presentation of the death certificate of her mum.

“This can be confirmed by Zenith Bank. Mrs. Patience Jonathan does not own Magel Resort Ltd. neither did she open the hotel’s account with Zenith Bank. The late mother of the former first lady should be allowed to rest in peace.

“It was also alleged that N200 million IT contract was awarded to Magel Resort Ltd, this is a figment of the imagination of EFCC as no such contracts were awarded to the company. EFCC must stop this media trial and blackmail aimed at tarnishing the image of the former first lady and get down to the business of conducting proper investigations.”

Mrs. Jonathan said that the resort is a company that “has become successful as a result of the hard work and relentless man hours put into it by her late mother.” She added that the EFCC’s allegation of another N17 billion being traced to her, ”is a joke that the EFCC has been taken too far as there is no available evidence to support this baseless claim.”

Mrs. Jonathan also rejected the ownership of a $12 million account in Diamond Bank, which the EFCC allegedly traced to her as well as ownership of three other companies.

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