Money Laundering Allegations: EFCC Must Respect The Law, Rivers PDP Insists

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted claims by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that Rivers State is the second state with the highest number of money laundering cases after Lagos, describing the allegation as fictitious.
Spokesman of PDP in Rivers State, Darlington Orji who stated this during a telephone interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt Wednesday, called on the commission to respect the rule of law.
Recall that the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, while addressing newsmen in Port Harcourt said the level of corruption in the state was high, especially those related to oil business and that there were records of money laundering in the crude oil and gas rich State.
But Orji dared the EFCC boss to back up his claims with facts and refrain from making blanket statements, noting that the Rivers State government has a clean record as it is not involved in illegitimate businesses.
“It is unfortunate for that fictitious statement that is being attributed to the EFCC chairman. For us, Rivers State is a favourable place and as far as we are concerned, there is nothing like money laundering here. We do legitimate business as a government and as a people in Rivers state.
“We are on clean record and history has shown that Rivers State has nothing to do with illegality. So he (Magu) should come up with his facts and name names as an organisation that is set up by law and it is supposed to operate within the law.
“You cannot make a blank statement that will be indicting the entire state. statements should be made specifically, so that statement is neither here nor there,” the state PDP spokesman stated.
Orji further said the state government led by Governor Nyesom Wike is not bothered by the comments of the EFCC chairman because, according to him, the state government is running a transparent administration.
“So, for us it’s an accountable government, a government that is loyal to the people instead of the people being loyal to the government. So, we are not bothered with the statement because is a fictitious one.”
On the EFCC’s plan to vacate the perpetual injunction obtained by the Dr. Peter Odili government restraining the anti-graft agency from investigating officials of the state government, he said the statement is a pointer that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government does not respect the rule of law.
According to him, “Well, we are aware that the Government of APC today does not respect the rule of law, otherwise, he (Magu) ought not to make such statements. All they (EFCC) need to do is to approach a superior court so that, that order can be vacated.
“Thank God today every successive Government has used that order. The government of APC and the government of PDP. That order was not made or the court was not approached by the government of today in Rivers State.
“That is to say, that we only inherited the liabilities and assets of Rivers State. So, if they want to vacate the order, it is not by mere statement, it’s by approaching the court, if the court see reasons with them, they vacate it.
“We have nothing to hide as Rivers people. The government is open 24-hours, but we are saying that the rule of law must be respected.The order must be vacated before you could approach our people. Though the EFCC that we know appears sectional, which ever case, things should be done right,” Orji said.

Dennis Naku, Favour Ukwe, & Charity Opara