Wike: EFCC’s freezing of Benue, A’Ibom accounts, a coup

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has described the freezing of the accounts of Benue and Akwa Ibom states by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the worst coup since the return to democracy. He also stated that there was no worse form of impunity than attempting to cripple a tier of government in a bid by the Federal Government to attain “unconstitutional political mileage.” Speaking yesterday at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike said that the Federal Government was ultimately targeting Rivers State, where it has already detailed EFCC to carry out “very unconstitutional activities.” He said that former Governor Peter Odili obtained a court judgement that EFCC has no constitutional power to investigate state funds, pointing out that the Commission was yet to vacate that order at a superior court.

He said: “There is no worse impunity than for EFCC to shut down a tier of government through the freezing of the accounts of two state governments. “An agency of the 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 Akwa Ibom states; the real target is Rivers State. EFCC, as a federal agency, has no business with state funds. That is the responsibility of the State House of Assembly.”

The governor also said that he was not moved by the sack of former Director General of Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, noting that it was a function of internal politics, just as he said that the Federal Government has enthroned a culture of impunity, using all security agencies to destroy democracy. “If you are sacking Daura for coup at the National Assembly, what will you do with a man who overthrew two state governments through two separate coups?” he asked.