Akwa Ibom Government File Lawsuit Of #50 Billion On EFCC

State Government Claims The Matter As Stall The Economy Of The State

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has been slammed with a lawsuit of #50 billion, by Akwa Ibom State Government over an unlawful freezing of the state account.

Barr. Uwemedimo Nwoko, the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, revealed this in an interview with journalist on Friday at the Government House Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

He 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.”

When asked if the freezing of the state account had any political undertone, he declined comment, stating that he would fight the matter legally and to a logical conclusion.

The Attorney General stated that the freezing of the state account has stall the Economic, security and business operations in the state.

He lamented that some prospective investors in the state developed cold feet due to that singular act thereby subjecting the state to losing 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 attacked the anti-graft agency for denying freezing of the Akwa Ibom state government account, saying that it was an approach to save the face of EFCC.

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 owned by top lawyers in the country, the Attorney General said the state government had lawyers under its employment 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.