The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has subjected state government officials to intense grilling.
Ortom said not less than seven of them are invited daily to the anti-graft agency’s office in Abuja.
Ortom stated this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, in Makurdi, the state capital, on Wednesday.
He said “no day passes without the commission adding one more angle to their harassment of Benue officials.
“Their latest move is the demand for minutes of the Benue State Security Council meetings.”
Querying the legality of their request, Akase asked “does the statutory mandate of the commission include regulation of states’ security affairs?”
Some of the state’s lawmakers are currently answering questions at the EFCC over their involvement in a car purchase deal since the beginning of the incumbent administration.
Ortom had also raised alarm that the anti-graft agency was probing his security spendings and demanded that it should cover all governors and the presidency.
The statement by Akase said: “EFCC is still victimising the state because what happens now is that every day, the commission invites not fewer than seven government officials to Abuja. Government activities have been grounded. The victimisation has reached a ridiculous level now as the commission is demanding minutes of the security council meetings.
“The level at which EFCC is pushing its persecution of Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, is ridiculous. No day passes without the commission adding one more angle to their harassment of Benue officials.
“Their latest move is the demand for minutes of the Benue State Security Council meetings. Does the statutory mandate of the commission include regulation of states’ security affairs?”
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