Jonathan enriched his godson with public funds –Rivers activist alleges

A civil rights activist, Tonye Bob-Manuel, on Sunday took ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to the cleaners for allegedly empowering one George Turnah, rather unduly.

Turnah (33), regarded as a political godson of Jonathan, and said to be under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, was conferred with the prestigious national honour of Member of Order of the Niger (MON) by Jonathan.

There were reports Sunday that a team of EFCC operatives accompanied by armed policemen and soldiers ransacked the palatial home of Turnah.

The fierce-looking operatives reportedly stormed the courtyard of Turnah located at Kolo Creek, Ogbia local government area in Bayelsa State.

They were said to have arrived the courtyard at about 5pm on Friday and painstakingly searched various buildings and rooms in the premises till about 10pm.

Though there was no clue as to wether any cash was recovered from the house, the team were said to have carted away cheque books and financial documents.

The commission was said to be investigating an alleged multiple cases of corrupt enrichment against Turnah and his involvement in disappearance of money allocated to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

It was learnt the 33-year-old Turnah fled his multi-billion naira Kolo Creek Villa built with a gold-plated fence and gate along the Ogbia town road few minutes before arrival of the EFCC.

His whereabouts were unknown with all his telephone numbers switched off, as at the time of this report.

Reports have linked Turnah’s investigation with his alleged involvement in the disappearance of huge sums of money allocated to the NDDC.

But Bob-Manuel in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, castigated Jonathan for setting up George Turnah for what he said has now amounted to self destruction.

“What manner of godson is George Turnah to Jonathan”, he queried.

Read also: EFCC raids house of Jonathan’s godson, Turnah

Bob-Manuel said the flamboyant lifestyle of the former Special Assistant on Youth Matters to the NDDC Managing Director since 2012 paved way for his investigation.

According to him, although Turnah was no longer a government official, he moves around with heavily armed mobile policemen and army personnel in a long convoy with personalized plate numbers.

He alleged that in 2015 alone, Turnah, who is well known for dispensing all manner of favours, mostly cash gifts to people, donated 15 Prado Jeeps to all the traditional rulers in his Ogbia Local Government Area.

Bob-Manuel stated that while not begrudging Turnah over his “stupendous wealth and incredible charity to his kinsmen”, how he came about his sudden wealth remains a mystery.

“Clearly this is not a product of hard work or any known form of creative enterprise.
”George Turnah’s only claim to wealth was his relationship to former President Goodluck Jonathan, simply because he warmed himself into Jonathan’s heart when he founded the ‘Jonathan Youth Vanguard’ popularly called “Joy 2011”, a platform he used to mobilise support for Jonathan in the election of that year”.

For this effort, Bob-Manuel claimed that Jonathan conferred on Turnah the national honour of Member of the Niger (MON) at the age of 27 and was also appointed a Special Assistant to the Managing Director of the NDDC in 2012.”

Following the exit of Jonathan in 2015, he was said to be putting structures in place to run for House of Representatives ahead of the 2019 elections.

Turnah will also be remembered for his audacious interest to vie for the high office of Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party just before the party’s botched convention last year, a move believed to have the backing of Jonathan.

 

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