Wike Slams EFCC Over Harassment Of Rivers’ PDP Guber Candidate …Swears In Three New Commissioners …Orders Prosecution Of Amaechi, Tonye Cole, Others

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has directed the new Attorney General of the State and Commissioner for Justice,Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, to write a strong worded protest letter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the harassment of the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Siminialayi Fubara.
This is as the governor has also directed the prosecution of former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi; APC Governorship Candidate for 2023 elections, Tonye Cole; Sahara Energy and others over the diversion of $50million state funds.
Wike gave the directive, last Friday, at the Executive Chamber of Government House, Port Harcourt, after swearing in three new commissioners.
They are Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; Hon. Isaac Kamalu as Commissioner of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning; and Dr. Dakorinama AlaboGeorge-Kelly as Commissioner for Works and Special Projects.
The protest letter to be written to EFCC, Wike said, was predicated on the fact that, recently, its officers attempted to harass and intimidate Fubara, who before his emergence as the PDP governorship candidate, had served as the Accountant General of Rivers State.
Wike said EFCC needs to know that the era of impunity and flagrant disobedience to the rule of law was gone and his administration would not accept such behaviour.
He maintained that the attempt to harass the state PDP candidate will not be accepted as the state government will not hesitate to charge the EFCC for contempt.
Wike explained that before now, the Rivers State Government had gotten a subsisting court judgement against the EFCC that it cannot investigate the state finances or its officers.
According to him, there was also another judgement against EFCC by the PDP governorship candidate to enforce his fundamental rights, which has not been set aside.
“Rivers State Government had judgement against EFCC since 2007. The court said you (EFCC) have no business in the financial transactions of the (Rivers) State. EFCC has been struggling to set aside that judgement until now. They have not even appealed it.”
Wike noted that nobody would accept the use of EFCC at such political period to intimidate persons in order to achieve their skewed political goals.
“We are in a political period. People should not think that they will use EFCC to intimidate or manipulate him (Fubara). Nobody will accept that. So, you (Attorney General) have to attach the judgement of the candidate against EFCC and send the right signal to them that we are not people that can be cowed.”
Wike further directed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to commence diligent prosecution of the illegal financial dealings of the former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Tonye Cole, Sahara Energy, and others over the sale of state assets.
“Attorney General, you’re at a critical period where people want to know what the state is going to do with the Judiciary Panel of Inquiry after the Supreme Court judgement on it. Luckily, you came at the right time when we have preferred criminal charges against the former governor (Amaechi), Sahara Energy, Tonye Cole and the rest of them.”
Wike said there is need for Rivers people and the rest of the world to know what actually happened to the $50million that disappeared from state’s account without a proof of business where it was deployed.
“So, you are coming at the right time to take over the matter and to make sure it is prosecuted diligently. I don’t want to hear excuses. Let the people see what happened to our money. The world will see how $50million from our account was moved to a company without anything to show whether there was a business.”
Speaking further, Wike commended the newly sworn-in commissioners who had shown capacity, loyalty and commitment in previous assignments without excuses.
Wike explained that he would be careful in constituting his cabinet because at such twilight of his administration, only people with undivided loyalty were needed to ensure a good ending.
“I want to commend three of you that you have shown commitment, you have shown hard work, you have shown loyalty. And for me, that is the only way to pay back the people who have shown in spite of all odds, they are still there with you.”