The Chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay, has questioned the order stopping the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating the officials of Rivers State Government.
Sagay while speaking at the anti-corruption conference organised by the office of the vice president office and (PACAC) in Abuja, also called on the National Assembly to pass the bill on Intelligence Reform into law to aid information and intelligence sharing among agencies if the fight against corruption must be won.
A Federal High Court had during the governor Peter Odili’s tenure given a judgment which set a perpetual injunction against the anti-graft agency from investigating, arresting or interrogating the state government officials suspected of corruption.
Governor Nyesom Wike had also relied on the order to argue that the EFCC has no power to investigate the finances of the state until the order is vacated by a higher court.
However, Sagay argued that the order, which he described as clearly illegal and unconstitutional, should be have been appealed to set it aside.
He alleged that the Governor Nyesom Wike-led government is also resisting a new set of investigations of the state government simply by relying on the unresolved case of former Governor Peter Odili.
Sagay stated that instead of turning its back on critical action, the EFCC owed the country the duty to set aside the roadblock in order for the state government to be investigated of financial misconduct.