Threatens to mobilize against anti-crime commission
By China Acheru
The Rivers State governor, Rt Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Ameachi is in the news again and this time it has to do with last week’s arrest of three Local Government chairmen in Rivers State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Operatives of the EFCC were in Port Harcourt last week to arrest 2 commissioners, For Finance, George Feyii, and the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Tammy Danagogo as well as three Local Government chairmen for Ikwerre, Obio/ Akpor and Port Harcourt but the chairmen and commissioners were said to have gone underground on getting a tip off.
However, the EFCC made away with the treasurer of Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Jessy Ogulor; Head of Personnel, Ikwerre Local Government, Dawariboko Iketrokosun; and Cashier, Obio/Akpor Local Government, Hyacinth Nwosirim leaving the governor, Amaechi to fume at a public event.
The governor accused the EFCC of acting like they are above the law and reminded them of a court injunction stopping them from arresting any government official in Rivers State.
Speaking at an Information Summit in the state, the governor also said he will mobilize the people of Rivers State against the EFCC if they ever tried to arrest government officials in Port Harcourt.
But the Public Relations Officer of the EFCC, Femi Babafemi seemed bemused when confronted with these allegations.
“First, for the records, I want to say we have nothing personal against Rivers State or its government officials but we work based on petitions and right now we have a lot of petitions against those officials we went in against,” Babafemi told City Times.
“Then if the governor made such a statement about mobilizing the people of the state against us, I will just say it is executive gangsterism. But I do not want to believe he said that.”
However, the acting Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers State governor, Blessing Wikina agrees that the governor made that statement but accuses the EFCC of not following due process.
“The EFCC is a creation of the law and just like people obey them because of the law, they should also obey the law,” Wikina said.
“There is a court order stopping them from arresting any Rivers State government official and that was obtained when Dr. Peter Odili was governor. We want them to respect that court ruling.”
Indeed, the former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili secured a court judgment perpetually retraining the EFCC from arresting any Rivers State government official, something Babafemi denies knowledge of.
“I am not aware of any court injunction stopping us from carrying out our duties. It is not true. If this court injunction was secured in 2007 like you say, how come in 2008 we arrested some state government officials and again last week, we arrested some Local Government officials?
“It simply means that no one is stopping us from working,” Babafemi said.
But whichever way the claims and counter claims go, Blessing Wikina fires another salvo saying the EFCC know what to do if they ever want to enter Port Harcourt legally to effect arrests.
“It was a court that stopped them from coming so they must go to a superior court to vacate that injunction.
“That is why they lost the case against the Chief Of Staff and the case against Zenith bank because they had no right to enter Rivers State to arrest them.
“How come Odili has not been investigated till today? They know the law but they think they are above it. The court injunction was not sought by this administration but we must all respect it.”
The commission is investigating an alleged diversion of N12bn belonging to the 22 LGs of the state.
They had tried to arrest the two commissioners and three Local government chairmen but failed in that bid.
However, the rumour mills say the siege on Rivers State may not be unconnected with the fact that the Rivers State governor refused to endorse the presidential bid of Goodluck Jonathan, a claim that cannot but substantiated, at least not yet.
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