Protesting Ijaw youths yesterday accused President Muhammadu Buhari of secretly giving the order for the bank accounts of former President Goodluck Jonathan to be frozen, alleging that the order was indicative of his “vindictiveness” towards the former first family.
The irate youths under the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), who blocked the Sanni Abacha expressway in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said it was disturbing that of all the former leaders, only Jonathan and his wife, Patience, were being “hounded” by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Their allegation collaborates information reaching THISDAY recently that the action by the EFCC has made it difficult for the ex-president to meet some of his pressing obligations and is now dependent on friends and associates to help him pay some of his bills.
The youths alleged that Jonathan’s account had been frozen, his allowances withdrawn and his security personnel starved of payments by the federal government.
“This country has produced many presidents, but the only one from the Niger Delta is constantly harassed by the machinery of state, especially the EFCC.
“We want to call on the president to please respect former President Jonathan, at least for the fact that he brought peace to this country, handed over peacefully to him. He didn’t go to court. He allowed him to run this country.
“President Buhari should please focus on leadership and stop vilifying the former first family,” Udengs Eradiri, the factional president of the IYC who led the protest said.
Many of the demonstrators displayed Ijaw flags and placards with inscriptions such as “Leave Patience Jonathan alone”, “LNG must be bought by Bonny people”, “If you must probe, all first ladies must be probed”, “We need projects not soldiers”, “Unfreeze Jonathan’s accounts”.
While speaking during the protest, Eradiri added, “We appeal to Buhari to respect Jonathan the way he respects other past presidents.
“They have frozen his account; they are not paying his allowances. Even the security agents around him do not get what is due to them. Why is the Presidency victimising Goodluck Jonathan?
“Patience Jonathan is not the only first lady in this country. A wife to a former deputy governor, governor, vice-president and president, are you expecting her to be a poor woman? There are other first ladies in this country.
“In recent times, a former first lady was awarded a university license. So, we are using this medium to send a message, leave our first family alone. Some people are not happy about Jonathan’s rising profile and they want to destroy it.”
The Ijaw youth leader also called for the resumption of work at the Maritime University, Delta State, noting that the Buhari’s aides were misreading his “body language”.
