Govt protests alleged plan to change
charges against lawmaker
With Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) operatives visiting Port
Harcourt to quizz the detained Majority Leader
of the House of Assembly, the crisis in Rivers
State seems to be taking a new shape.
The deployment of EFCC operatives, to
observers of the political row, signposts a
breakdown of the ongoing reconciliation talks
between President Goodluck Jonathan and
Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
A source in the state said the coming of the
EFCC operatives was a ploy to implicate
Amaechi and pave the way for his
impeachment .
But the EFCC yesterday said its operatives were
in Rivers State as part of an ongoing
investigation.
It was gathered that the EFCC operatives
stormed Port Harcourt at the weekend to look
into the financial activities of the state
government and House of Assembly.
The operatives reportedly made Lloyd’s police
detention camp their first port of call.
For about two hours, the operatives
interrogated Lloyd on some financial
transactions between the Executive and the
Legislature.
A source in the anti-graft commission said:
“We are looking into allegations of diversion of
public funds, outright graft and financial
crimes against Lloyd and some public officials
in Rivers State.
“I cannot give you the details to avoid
disclosures which could prejudice ongoing
investigation because our operatives just got to
Rivers State.
“Already, the operatives have met with Chidi
Lloyd at the facility where he is being
detained. They are going to interact with other
officials connected with allegations against
Lloyd.
“It is not a personal thing against Lloyd; if
nothing is found against him, we will let the
public know.”
The Rivers State Government yesterday raised
the alarm over the Federal Government’s
“desperation” to take over Lloyd’s prosecution
through the EFCC.
It alleged that the operatives of the EFCC were
acting on the instructions of two prominent
citizens involved in the crisis to change Lloyd’s
charge from attempted murder.
The Amaechi administration also accused the
Federal Government of playing dirty, stressing
that attempted murder, the allegation with
which Lloyd has been charged, is under the
state’s purview.
Commissioner for Information and
Communications Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said:
“The Federal Government is playing dirty. They
have brought in the EFCC to interrogate and
investigate the House of Assembly’s Leader,
Hon. Chidi Lloyd (a lawyer, who represents
Emohua constituency).
“They want to take over the prosecution by
ulterior means and so plan to change the
charge from attempted murder, which is under
the state’s purview, to EFCC.
“They have planted something in Hon. Chidi
Llyod’s house, which would be against the
governor.”
A government source said: “They have designed
a plot to detain Lloyd perpetually. With this, it
is apparent that they intend to arrest other
members of the G-27 who are loyal to
Amaechi.
“Since they failed to impeach Amaechi with five
lawmakers, they have opted the ambush
method by framing up Lloyd and the 26
lawmakers in the state.
“Once they are able to arrest the 27
lawmakers, the five pro-Minister Nyesom
Wike’s lawmakers can then sit and impeach
Amaechi.”
Another source spoke of some stakeholders
being against the reconciliation plans between
the President and Amaechi.
“It is clear that the so-called peace talks were
mere shadow chasing to gauge the mind of the
governor,” the source said.
EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren said: “Some
of our operatives are in Rivers State over an
ongoing investigation. I think there is a link to
the Majority Leader Chidi Lloyd.
“But the operation is not just a Port Harcourt
or Rivers State thing; it is about investigation
of some allegations in some states in the
Southsouth.”
It was learnt that Amaechi summoned a
meeting of the State Executive Council,
obviously to discuss the latest development.
A third source added: “The governor has been
meeting with his executive members on the
invasion of the state by EFCC operatives.
“The governor and his team have nothing to
hide but it is evident that the EFCC is falling
into a trap of being used for political
vengeance.”
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