Governor Nyesom Wike
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike says the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has no power to probe the state
government.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon
Nwakaudu, the governor said that the EFCC should approach the Court of
Appeal to set aside the 2007 judgment barring the commission from
investigating the state.
“We are not afraid of their probe and they have no power to probe us.
“No government official will appear before the EFCC until they
set aside the court judgment of Rivers State Government against them in
2007. We cannot be intimidated,” he said on Sunday.
Wike also alleged that the anti-graft agency was embarking on a political witch-hunt using the media.
“We are aware of their tricks. They should not bother engaging
in media trial because it will not work. This is a mere political
witch-hunt,” he said.
The governor explained that the state had obtained a court judgment in 2007 preventing the anti-graft agency from probing it.
He, however, wants the commission to vacate the order in a superior court before probing the activities of the state.
The governor also decried the freezing of accounts of the Benue and Akwa-Ibom state governments earlier by the EFCC.
On August 8, the anti-graft agency froze the accounts of the two
states, a development that sparked criticisms especially by the Nigerian
Governors Forum (NGF).
Wike, however, stated that Rivers State was the real target of the EFCC.
Furthermore, he accused the Federal Government of using the agency
for illegal actions in the state, despite the Attorney General writing
to the EFCC and attaching the 2007 judgment against the federal agency.
He said, “An agency of federal government has frozen the
accounts of Akwa Ibom and Benue State Governments. This is the worst
coup against the constitution and the law-abiding people of those
states.
“But the target is not Benue or the Akwa Ibom States. The real
target is Rivers State. The EFCC as a federal agency has no business
with State Funds. That is the responsibility of the State House of
Assembly.”
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