Akwa Ibom State Government has
filed N50 billion lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, over an unlawful freezing of its account recently.
The State’s Attorney General and
Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Uwemedimo Nwoko disclosed this to newsmen in an
interview on Friday at the Government House Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Other defendants named in a writ by the Attorney general are: The Attorney General
of the Federation, Zenith Bank PLC, Skye Bank PLC and the United Bank for
Africa PLC.
Nwoke noted that the anti-graft
agency had no constitutional powers to freeze the states government account.
According to him, “There is no
basis 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.
”I want to state clearly that
even if there were to be an investigation that the EFCC was carrying out about
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 they claimed that they
were investigating a fraud against that state government.”
On whether the freezing of the
state account has any political undertone, Nwoke declined comment, insisting
that he would pursue the matter legally and to a logical conclusion.
The Attorney General regretted
that the state account that was shut down stalled the Economic, security and
business operations in the state, adding that some prospective investors in the
state developed cold feet due to such the singular act thereby subjecting the
state to lose billions of Naira.
”The singular attempt of freezing
the account of the state government was shutting down the state. Akwa Ibom
state was brought down on its knees, it was an attempt to paralyze and
completely demobilize the activity of the state.
”We could not respond to
economic, security and business exigencies. Most importantly, the investors
that were coming to Akwa Ibom began to have a second thought and became worried
about the status of their investment. Those who were on their way began to go
back. so we suffered unquantifiable losses.” He said.
Nwoko also taunted the EFCC’s
report denying freezing of Akwa Ibom state government account, saying that,
that was a face saving approach by the anti graft agency.
He added that the state government
had every evidence to prove that its accounts were frozen.
On the report of tracing about
N11 billion to accounts owed by top lawyers in the country, the Attorney
General said the state government had lawyers under its employ and it owed them
obligation to pay them their fees, arguing whether it was unlawful for lawyers
who work for a state government to receive their legitimate earnings.
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