• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Shutting down finances of states worse than coup – Wike

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State thinks Nigerians should view seriously the frequent shutdown of finances of some states in recent times, saying it was worse than a coup.
The governor was reacting to attempts by the police to invade state houses of assembly and the recent clampdown of accounts of Benue and Akwa Ibom states, though they have been unfrozen.
This is, as threats are believed to be going towards the Rivers State government, which has had a running battle with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since the days of Peter Odili as governor. The state has a court order stopping the EFCC from accessing its accounts, except the Rivers State House of Assembly that has statutory powers to do so.
Governor Wike said there was no worse form of impunity than attempting to cripple a tier of government simply because the APC Federal Government planned to attain unconstitutional political mileage.
Speaking on national issues at the Government House Port Harcourt on Thursday, Wike said the ultimate target of the Federal Government was Rivers State, where he said they had already detailed the EFCC to carry out very unconstitutional activities.
He said: “There is no worse impunity than for the EFCC to shutdown a tier of government through the freezing of the accounts of two state governments.
“An agency of 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. The EFCC as a federal agency has no business with State Funds. That is the responsibility of the State House of Assembly.”
He said Rivers government under former governor, Peter Odili, obtained a court judgment that the EFCC had no constitutional power to investigate state funds, pointing out that the EFCC was yet to vacate that order at a superior court.
According to Wike, the Federal Government has continued to use the EFCC for illegal actions in Rivers State, despite the Attorney General of Rivers State writing to the EFCC and attaching the said judgment against the federal agency.
He said he was not moved by the sack of former director-general of DSS, noting that it was a function of internal politics. “If you are sacking Lawan Daura for a coup at the National Assembly, what will you do with a man who overthrew two state governments through two separate coups?” he asked.
The governor added that the Federal Government had enthroned a culture of impunity using all security agencies to destroy democracy.
He said: “The sack of the DG of DSS is mere internal politics. If not, even the Inspector General of Police has done worse. The Inspector General of Police invaded the Benue State House of Assembly.  He also invaded the Rivers State High Court Complex. No action has been taken against the Inspector General of Police.”