Rivers State governor has directed the attorney general to write a protest letter to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission over the alleged harassment of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State, Siminalaye Fubara.
Wike, who gave the directive on Friday at the Executive Chamber of Government House, Port Harcourt, said the anti-graft agency needed to know that the era of flagrant disregard for the rule of law was gone.
He said the state had a subsisting court judgment barring the EFCC from meddling in the state’s financial transactions.
“The Rivers State Government has a judgment against the EFCC since 2007. The court said you (EFCC) have no business in the financial transactions of the state. The EFCC has been struggling to set aside that judgment but till now they have not even appealed it.”
He alleged that the move by the anti-graft agency was political, noting that nobody will accept the use of EFCC in such a 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 the EFCC to intimidate or manipulate him (Fubara). Nobody will accept that. So, you (attorney general) have to attach the judgment of the candidate against EFCC and send the right signal to them that we are not people that can be cowed,” Wike said.
The governor, who swore in three new commissioners, said they had shown capacity, loyalty, and commitment in previous assignments.
He stated, “I want to commend the 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 loyalty. In spite of all odds, they are still here.”
He said he will take his time to appoint party men into the reconstituted cabinet, who are willing, committed, and loyal to serve the state.
The Commissioners that were sworn in include, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, sworn in as Attorney General; Isaac Kamalu, Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning; and Dr. George-Kelly Alabo, Commissioner for Works and Special Projects.
