The Ohanaeze Youth Council Worldwide (OYC) on Monday decried what it described as endless persecution of the family of former
President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC).
In a statement signed by its National Deputy
President, Dr. Arthur Obiora, OYC observed that the "persecution" of
the ex-president's family had been taken too far to the detriment of some poor
Nigerians living off his goodwill.
They expressed dismay that rather than fight
corruption holistically, the anti-graft body had rather concentrated its
"much dramatised anti-corruption war on the Jonathans and his allies.”
The organisation also faulted the freezing of the
account of Aruera Foundation owned by Jonathan's wife, Dame Patience Jonathan.
The foundation is known for offering medical assistance to poor Nigerians with
heart-related ailment.
The youth council, while commending the foundation
"for giving succour to helpless Nigerians, especially children with heart
problems," expressed sadness that "the foundation suffered a setback
because of the on-going investigation of Patience Jonathan by the EFCC since
2016.
"We are not against anti-corruption fight; we
give total support to President Muhammadu Buhari's anti-corruption stance.
"However, we are concerned about the victims
of this clampdown on the foundation, especially children who their medical
treatment have been aborted because of the freezing of the account of the
NGO."
Obiora added that "as many Nigerians are
yearning for good health facilities, we should not take politics too far. We
urge the EFCC to unfreeze the account of Aruerue Foundation so that the people
involved in the overseas medical trip will continue treatment.
"We urge Patience Jonathan to continue doing her
goodwill for the less privileged in the society. As we have always advocated, the
anti-corruption war should not start and end with Jonathan's family. This
obvious bias is corruption in itself."
Speaking in the same vein, the Igbo Youth Council
faulted the EFCC, noting that "the Aruera Reachout Foundation was formed
by Patience Jonathan in 2006 as her pet project as the wife of then governor of
Bayelsa State."
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