*Swears in three new commissioners
Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has directed the Attorney General of the State and Commissioner for Justice, to write a strong worded protest letter to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over harassment of State’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Siminalaye Fubara.
Governor Wike gave the directive on Friday at the Executive Chamber of Government House, Port Harcourt, after swearing in three new commissioners.
They are Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Isaac Kamalu as Commissioner of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning and Dr. George-Kelly, Dakorinama Alabo as Commissioner for Works and Special Projects.
The protest letter to be written to EFCC, Governor Wike said, is predicated on the fact that, recently, its officers attempted to harass and intimidate Fubara, who before his emergence as the PDP governorship candidate, had served as the Accountant General of Rivers State.
Governor Wike said EFCC needs to know that the era of impunity and flagrant disobedience to the rule of law is gone and his administration will not accept such behaviour.
He maintained that the attempt to harass the State PDP candidate will not be accepted as the State government will not hesitate to charge the EFCC for contempt.
Governor Wike explained that before now, the Rivers State government had gotten a subsisting court judgment against the EFCC that it cannot investigate the State finances or its officers. According to him, there is also another judgment against EFCC by the PDP governorship candidate to enforce his fundamental rights, which has not been set aside.
” Rivers State government had judgment against EFCC since 2007. The court said you (EFCC) has no business in the financial transactions of the (Rivers) State. EFCC has been struggling to set aside that judgement until now. They have not even appealed it.”
Governor Wike noted that nobody will accept the use of EFCC at such 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 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.”
Governor Wike further directed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to commence diligent prosecution of the illegal financial dealings of the former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Mr. Tonye Cole, Sahara Energy and others over the sale of state assets.
“Attorney General, you’re at a critical period where people want to know what the State is going to do with the Judiciary Panel of Inquiry after the Supreme Court judgement on it. Luckily, you came at the right time when we have preferred criminal charges against the former governor (Amaechi), Sahara Energy, Tonye Cole and the rest of them.”
Governor Wike said there is need for Rivers people and the rest of the world to know what actually happened to the $50 million Dollar that disappeared from state’s account without a proof of business where it was deployed.
“So, you are coming at the right time to take over the matter and to make sure it is prosecuted diligently. I don’t want to hear excuses. Let the people see what happened to our money. The world will see how $50 million Dollar from our account was moved to a company without nothing to show whether there was a business.”
Speaking further, Governor Wike commended the newly sworn-in commissioners who had shown capacity, loyalty and commitment in previous assignments without excuses.
Governor Wike informed that he will be careful in constituting his cabinet to full because at such twilight of his administration, only people with undivided loyalty are needed to ensure a good ending.
“I want to commend 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 in spite of all odds, they are still there with you.”
Kelvin Ebiri
Special Assistant Media to the Rivers State Governor
June 9, 2022.
