Akwa Ibom Govt. Says It Will Not Bow To EFCC Intimidation

The Akwa Ibom State Government has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC of being a tool of the All Progressives Congress, APC in its bid to win over the state.

Reacting to a report in The Nation of Sunday, November 11 in which it was alleged that the EFCC was probing the state over alleged N6.5 billion money laundering transactions, the government said it was ludicrous that the commission and the newspaper would regurgitate a news story it had published on August 12, 2018 for political reasons.

The state commissioner for information, Mr. Charles Udoh in a statement obtained by www.gwgng.com said:

“The attention of the Akwa Ibom State Government has been drawn to a publication in the Nation Newspaper  of November 11, 2018 alleging an Economic Financial & Crimes Commission (EFCC) probe of Akwa Ibom Government over the withdrawal of N6.5bn from the state coffers

“For the records, the current administration has made Akwa Ibom State one of the few states; if not the only state that publishes its annual audited financial statements. This underscores the state government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and integrity in governance. Copies of the state’s annual audited financial statements are available in the public domain.

“We wish to state emphatically as follows; that this is a malicious allegation and a desperate face-saving effort by the EFCC to justify the several illegalities it has allowed itself to be used by the opposition to perpetrate against the Akwa Ibom State Government which have attracted widespread condemnation within and outside the country.

“For avoidance of doubt, the constitution and laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria authorizes only the state House of Assembly and the state Auditor-General to pry into the financial dealings of a state government.  It is ludicrous that the EFCC has allowed itself to degenerate into a tool of lopsided political mudslinging and witch-hunting used by the opposition in the state to cast aspersions on the integrity of the Akwa Ibom State government.

“This story was earlier published in the same newspaper by the same author on August 12, 2018, and since it did not have the intended effects, EFCC has sadly condescended to regurgitate the story in a flagrant act of impunity against existing laws of Nigeria.

“The Akwa Ibom State Government will do all within its lawful limits to protect the integrity of governance in the state. Recall that the Akwa Ibom State Government had served notices of contempt to the EFCC and would not be dragged into a public discourse on a matter that is patently sub judice. This matter is before the Federal High Court Uyo”

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