Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, says the presidential pardon for persons prosecuted on corruption charges by the Federal Government only suggests that there is no need to have anti-corruption agencies in the country.
He believes the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) have been made to suffer an embarrassment as the pardon has made them irrelevant.
The governor stated this on Monday while addressing delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State, as part of his ongoing consultation ahead of the party’s presidential primary.
He was reacting to the pardon granted to former governors Jolly Nyame of Taraba State and Joshua Dariye of Plateau State by the Council of State last week.
“This is the same government that complained against the judiciary that it is not fighting against corruption,” he was quoted as saying in a statement by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri. “Now, look at what the judges have passed through; sleepless nights from the FCT High Court to the Court of Appeal to Supreme Court, everything is wasted.
“If President Muhammadu Buhari knows that he doesn’t want to fight corruption, then, he should disband EFCC and ICPC because he has thoroughly embarrassed them.
“So, all these things he (Buhari) is doing is because of the election coming soon. They want this person in Plateau State to help them and they want this person in Taraba State to help them, but it will not work because Wike will face them in that election.”
