DEFECTION BLUES! First Benue, now Akwa Ibom as EFCC freezes states’ accounts

As the defection drama continues to pay out in the nation’s political arena, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seems to have entered the mix.

Two states where there have been defection issues have had their accounts frozen by the anti-crime agency.

Reports on Wednesday indicate that a number of bank accounts owned by the Akwa Ibom State government have come under the hammer of the EFCC.

This was revealed by Charles Udoh, the Akwa Ibom state commissioner for information, who stated that they got wind of the development today, even though there was no prior indications from the anti-graft agency.

This is coming about 24 hours after the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom had raised a similar alarm that the EFCC had frozen the state’s bank accounts,

It would be recalled that Ortom had only recently just dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In Akwa Ibom State, a political turf war has been declared as a former governor of the state and serving senator, Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday formally dumped the PDP for the APC.

His godson, and incumbent governor, Emmanuel Udom has refused to follow in his footsteps.

Instead, Udom reportedly sacked Akpabio’s loyalists in his cabinet who went to welcome the former governor when he arrived the state for a formal declaration of his defection.

According to sources, the anti-graft agency froze the accounts of the states on the premise that it is investigating the security votes of the governors.

The freezing of the Benue state accounts is the latest in the onslaught being unleashed against the governor since his defected.

Before now, eight members of the state House of Assembly issued Governor Ortom with an impeachment notice. The eight lawmakers were reportedly given cover by security agencies to issue the impeachment notice.

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A top official of the state government disclosed that the government’s accounts affected by the EFCC order includes those in Fidelity Bank, First Bank and GTB.

The official further said: “The order would affect the payment of salaries and all of the state government’s financial obligations because these are accounts from where salaries and other sundry payments are made.

“We also gathered that the commission secured a valid court order which was presented to all the affected banks for necessary action but it is clearly a witch-hunt because Governor Ortom defected from the APC, that is Nigerian democracy for you.

“We are only urging Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to use his good offices to stop these spate of impunity from hell going on in our country because we are gradually descending to anarchy in Nigeria.

“When has it become an offence for anyone to defect to another party, for God’s sake? Is this the country and democracy we all gave our all and also lost loved ones to achieve?,” he asked.

 

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