Jonathan moves against ECA probe

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has launched a protest against a plan by the Muhammadu Buhari administration to probe how $2.1billion was illegally withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA).

Jonathan is said to be planning to protest to the General Abubakar Abdulsalami-led National Peace Committee for 2015 General Elections that the Buhari administration is trying to blackmail him and his erstwhile cabinet members.

The National Economic Council (NEC), had on June 29, raised a four-man panel on how Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) spent N3.8 trillion in three years. The four ‘wise men’ are Governors Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe).

A report by The Nation says the immediate past president is not pleased with the corruption tag being put on his administration; and that he is worried by the likely probe of the whereabouts of the $4billion taxes and dividends paid by the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) between 2009 and 2014.

It further claimed that another matter troubling Jonathan and his former ministers, is how the NNPC under his watch allegedly blew N3.8trillion in three years.

The former President arrived in the country last weekend and the newspaper quoted its source as saying: “Jonathan believes that Buhari is blackmailing him and his ministers, contrary to the terms of the 2015 poll peace agreement which led to a smooth transition from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

Read also: Commissioners’ stance deepens mystery of $2bn ECA funds

“I think Jonathan approached the Abdulsalami Committee so that he will be left alone by Buhari who openly said he inherited an empty treasury from his predecessor.”

It also quoted a former minister in the Jonathan administration as saying: “The ex-President is unhappy that the administration of Buhari has been stigmatising his administration instead of putting him into confidence on issues.

“For God’s sake, let them allow this man to earn his well-deserved retirement. If there is any observation by the new government, there are standard official procedures of addressing such.”

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