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… As Court Restrains EFCC from Arresting Rivers Contractors
The governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has urged prominent indigenes of the state and other Nigerians to stop de-marketing the state.
Delivering a speech at the commissioning of the Port Harcourt International Airport Terminal on Thursday, Wike said it is in the best interest of the South-South region for investments to flow into the state.
He urged “all of us who are from Rivers State and others from Nigeria to market Rivers State and not de-market it,” adding that “with this (the commissioning of the airport terminal), people will come and invest in the state. Other airlines will also operate from this airport.”
Wike said that Rivers State is safe and secure for investment, noting that if the state is not safe and secure for people to invest in, the contractor handling the airport project, CCECC Nigeria Ltd., would not have been able to complete it.
The governor said that the people of the state and the Niger Delta are happy with the completion of the Port Harcourt International Airport terminal, adding that it will boost the state’s economy and create investment opportunities
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to complete the domestic terminal of the Port Harcourt International Airport in line with his pledge, and approved the construction of the five kilometre transit road into the international airport terminal vicinity.
While commissioning the airport terminal, President Muhammadu Buhari said it represents a significant landmark for international air travellers, particularly those from Rivers State, and commended the people of the South-South and other airport users for their cooperation while the project lasted.
He said that since the 1970s and early 1980s, not much was done to increase passenger handling capacity of the nation’s airports.
Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika noted the project was initiated five years ago, and that seven million passengers will be processed annually at the terminal, a figure which he said is 15 times higher than the air-passenger traffic capacity of Ghana.
Sirika said that the Buhari administration inherited the project at about 30 percent completion stage.
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has restrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting, or detaining contractors and service providers to the Rivers State government.
The court also restrained the EFCC and the attorney-general of the federation from inviting and detaining officials of the Rivers State government under the disguise of investigations. Justice Hilary Oshomah delivered the judgement in the suit filed by the Rivers State attorney-general against the EFCC and AGF.
It further barred the EFCC and AG from interfering with the accounts of the Rivers State government, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The judge declared that: “An order of interlocutory injunction restraining 1st and 2nd defendants/respondents (EFCC/AGF) from inviting, or further inviting, arresting and or detaining the contractors (engaged by the Rivers State government to carry out projects.
“Professionals (including lawyers) or service providers to the Rivers State government who have been paid by the state government, for the purpose of investigating, probing and or interfering in any manner whatsoever with the management of the Rivers State consolidated fund.”
The court also issued an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants from giving any effect, or further effect to the letter dated August 7, 2018, wherein EFCC invited some officials of the Rivers State government on August 20, or any date for that matter.
Justice Oshomah restrained the EFCC and AGF or their agents, servants and privies from retrieving/demanding the Bank Verification Number (BVN) of any officials of the plaintiffs, contractors executing projects, lawyers or vendors who have received payment for the purpose of probing, or interfering with the accounts of the Rivers State government, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The court further restrained the EFCC and AGF from directing Zenith Bank and Access Bank to furnish them with the bank account details, record books and/or any document for the purpose of probing, investigating, or interfering with the accounts of the Rivers State government until the determination of the substantive suit.
The court held that the preliminary objection dated September 3, 2018 filed by the EFCC against the suit lacked merit. It explained that the motion on Notice by the Rivers State Attorney-General dated September 24, 2018 was meritorious in its entirety.
