How Rotimi Amaechi is ‘colluding’ with EFCC to ‘blackmail’ Rivers govt – Commissioner Okah

The Rivers State Government has accused the Minister of
Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi of colluding with the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to "blackmail" and harass it.

The state government made the claim while challenging Amaechi, who is
the immediate past governor of the state, to account for the proceeds
from sales of the state's assets.

The Commissioner of Information, Emma Okah, who stated this in a
statement on Monday, said Amaechi should account for the sale of $308
million gas turbine power stations the Rivers government formerly
owned.

Okah said instead of explaining why he took "contagious economic
steps" as governor, Amaechi was blackmailing the state government.

He said, "The Justice Omereji Commission of Inquiry investigated the
spurious sales and indicted the minister for transportation. Instead
of refunding the money, the minister rushed to court to set aside the
findings of the commission.

"He lost at the high court and at the court of appeal. His appeal to
the supreme court has been abandoned because for over a year, he has
failed to file a brief of argument.

"This is why the minister is arm-twisting his party members in the
state and forcing Mr. Tonye Cole on them as their anointed flag bearer
in the 2019 governorship polls. There is need to cover the skeletons
in the cupboard.

"Instead of explaining why he took such contagious economic steps
against the state, the former Rivers governor is busy blackmailing the
government of Rivers State and supporting the EFCC to disobey existing
court orders and harass the government of Rivers State and its
officials.

"For the avoidance of doubts, Rivers state government is not against
the fight against corruption. Our case is that there are two perpetual
court injunctions restraining the commission from investigating the
finances of Rivers state government and until those injunctions are
vacated by a superior court, the commission is duty bound in law to
respect it irrespective of how worried the former governor may feel
today.

"It is therefore very funny that the same person who told the EFCC to
leave the state alone in 2010 is urging the same commission to invade
the state even when the injunctions have not been vacated.

"The Rivers state government assures the transport minister that the
law has not changed and the facts remain the same and so his collusion
with the commission to harass Rivers state government and her
officials will not work," Okah added.