No Rivers official’ll appear before EFCC – Wike

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday said no official of the Rivers State government would appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over its politically-motivated investigations until the commission approached the Court of Appeal to set aside the 2007 judgment barring the commission from investigating the state.

In a statement yesterday, Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu quoted Governor Wike as describing the alleged action of the EFCC as a ‘political witch-hunt.’

The governor declared; “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 judgement of Rivers State government against them in 2007, we cannot be intimidated. “They filed for leave to appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal.

Until they set aside the judgement, we will not come.” Governor Wike said the media trial by the EFCC would amount to nothing, pointing out that the Rivers State government was aware of the move before it even started. “We are aware of their tricks. They should not bother engaging in media trial, because it will not work. This is mere political witch-hunt.

“They must obey the law. We have filed another action against the EFCC. Because they have been served, they are telling the press that they have started investigating Rivers State government. “This media war by the EFCC will not work. We stand on the rule of law,” Governor Wike stated.

It will be recalled that while speaking on the freezing of Akwa Ibom State and Benue State accounts recently at the Government House Port Harcourt, Governor Wike said the ultimate target of the APC Federal Government was Rivers State, where they have already detailed the EFCC to carry out very unconstitutional activities.