26th August, 2018
Okafor Ofiebor /Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has declared that no official of the Rivers State Government will appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC until the commission approaches the Court of Appeal to set aside the 2007 judgment barring the commission from investigating the state.
In a statement on Sunday, Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu quoted 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 judgment of Rivers State Government against them in 2007. We cannot be intimidated.
“They filed for leave to appeal the judgment at the Court of Appeal. Until they set aside the judgment, we will not come.”
Wike said that 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,” Wike stated.