Chidi Samuel|
Nyesom Wike, the governor of oil rich Rivers State, South-South, Nigeria, on Sunday said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has no power to probe the state government.
In a statement by Simeon Nwakaudu, his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Wike advised the EFCC to approach the Court of Appeal to set aside the 2007 judgment barring the commission from investigating the state.
Wike said, “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.”
“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.”
The governor also carpeted the EFCC for earlier freezing of accounts of the Benue and Akwa-Ibom state governments on August 8.
He argued, however, Rivers and not those two states were the real target of the EFCC.
Wike went on to accuse 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.
“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, Wike stated.”