Akwa Ibom govt files N50bn suit against EFCC

The government of Akwa Ibom State has dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and some banks to court over the freezing of its accounts.

The state government described the action of the anti-graft agency as unconstitutional and illegal in a N50 billion suit against the anti-graft agency filed before a Federal High Court sitting in Uyo.

The development was made known to newsmen by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Uwemedimo Nwoko, in Uyo at the weekend. He said that the Emmanuel led government was resolute to pursue the case to its logical conclusion as the anti-graft agency had no powers to freeze its accounts.

Akwa Ibom government is praying the court to determine among other things “whether the accounts of Akwa Ibom State Government held with banks or financial institutions fall within the financial crimes enforcement purview of section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Established) Act 2004.

“Whether the account of Akwa Ibom State Government with a bank or financial institution can be subjected to a freezing order pursuant to section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Established) Act 2004.”

Nwoko said that he was sure that the government was going to win the case, explaining that “there is no doubt about that because there was no basis for their action, even in the constitution of Nigeria or any other enabling law made by anybody whether the National Assembly or the state Assembly or any other convention, that authorizes any federal agency or any agency to shut down the account of a state government as done by the EFCC.

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“I want to state clearly that even if there were to be an investigation that the EFCC was carrying out on whether there was any fraud committed against Akwa Ibom State in that circumstance, it should be the government of Akwa Ibom that should be the victim. So, there was no basis for freezing the account under the guise of investigating a fraud against the state government.”

Some commentators had described the action of the EFCC as political witch-hunting. This was especially as the action came soon after the former governor of the state, Godswill Akpabio, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which the anti-graft agency has been accused, by some Nigerians, of doing its biddings.

The EFCC had also taken similar action against Benue State government soon after the state governor; Samuel Ortom dumped the APC for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 

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