Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State yesterday cut short his trip abroad to return to the country in order to take charge of the state following its problem with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which detained two of its officials.
The return of Amaechi will also make available the Commissioner for Finance and the Accountant General of the State, who were on the tour with him and are wanted by the EFCC.
According to the Commis-sioner for Information in the State, Mr. Ogbonna Nwuke, contrary to some reports that the officials were on the run, they traveled out with the governor before they were asked to come for interrogation.
Nwuke, who addressed the press yesterday in Port Harcourt assured that the state government would not interfere with the work of any agency and would cooperate with the EFCC to ensure that they get to the root of the investigation.
“Although the governor was out of the country to woo investment partners who had been scared by the security situation in the Niger Delta, he has decided to cut short his trip and return home to take charge of affairs”, he said.
Asked why he was cutting short his trip if the matter was not serious, Nwuke replied, “Governor Amaechi has demonstrated his capacity for leadership and as head of government at a time of great trial, he has resolved to return home to give government the appropriate direction that it deserves this time”.
Nwuke said the administration believes in the rule of law and due process and would follow the issue to its logical conclusion but asked residents of the state to be calm even in the face of provocation by any one or agency.
On the denial that their officials were on the run, a statement by Acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Blessing Wikina, said that the State did not have anything to hide, therefore none of the officials was on the run.
He explained that if they knew that they were wanted by the commission, they would not have accompanied the governor on the trip and assured that all officials of the state needed for questioning by the EFCC would honour such invitation.
Mr. Magnus Abbe, Secretary to the State Government and the Chief of Staff, Chief Nyesom Wike, were detained Monday after interrogation by the EFCC in Abuja over the operation of some accounts which the commission said bordered on money laundering.
However, sources confided in THISDAY that the account being probed was opened by Wike in 2004 and had nothing to do with the finances of the state, adding that it was not even at the Azikiwe road branch of the said bank.
Oct82008