has condemned
The freezing of the accounts of the Benue State Government by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has come under condemnation of governors who adjudge it to be an unlawful act.
The Governor of Zamfara State Abdullazi Yari said the action of the EFCC if true is unlawful and unconstitutional.
Yari who is also the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) spoke while fielding questions with State House correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday.
“The freezing of any account of the state government whether Benue or anywhere is unconstitutional and is not right. That is shutting down government. Government must spend, most especially Benue that is facing insecurity challenges,” he said.
Yari who said they were yet to confirm the authenticity of the claims said “well, we don’t know why the EFCC took the action. But if indeed EFFC freezed the account, from my point of view, it is wrong.
This government will not sit down and oversee unlawful operation from the security agencies”.
Citing the ugly experience at the National Assembly, on Tuesday where the Department of State Services (DSS) shut the complex, the angry governor said “from what happened yesterday, (Daura sack), everyone can understand that the government is following due process and the laws of Nigeria. For one to just send security agencies to shut down the National Assembly” is unacceptable.
He noted that “similar thing had happened in 2011 and 2014 respectively, but nothing was done about it, this time around, government said enough is enough. But the government of Muhammadu Buhari is following due process and will never oversee an unlawful activity by any security agency. So in the case of Benue, I believe something must be done”.
Also speaking, Governor Umar Ganduje of Kano state also condemned Tuesday’s invasion of the National Assembly by security agents, saying that the legislature must be allowed to operate according to law.
He told journalists, at the Presidential Villa that the unauthorized use of security agencies is wrong and unacceptable.
“To use security agencies in trying to prevent them from doing there own normal legislative functions, i think it wrong.
“But I have to salute the acting President for taking immediate action in order to save the situation.
“The National Assembly is a very important institution and we not embarrass ourselves and allow foreigners to view us as undemocratic. It’s very important.
“The situation now has been corrected. It is something that is unfortunate, we have to move forward.”
