By Peter Duru
Makurdi—Ethnic leaders in Benue State, on the platform of Mdzough U Tiv, MUT; Idoma National Forum, INF, and Omi Ny’Igegde, ONI, have condemned what they described as the economic strangulation of Benue Government and its people by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The leaders, who wondered why the government and people of the state have been singled out for what they described as persecution and intimidation by the anti-graft agency for unjustifiable reasons, maintained that the resolve of EFCC to probe the security votes of the state government was nothing but a witch-hunt.
In a statement in Makurdi, jointly signed by Chief Edward Ujege, President General of MUT, Amali Amali, President INF, and Benjamin Okpa, ONI’s President General, the leaders said: “We begin to wonder whether EFCC is not acting a political script. We believe that EFCC has an ulterior motive, otherwise the probe of security votes of Benue State should have commenced from 1999 to date and to cover all the states of the federation, including that of the Federal Government.
“We think there should be equity and fair play, expecting that all government agencies should protect the citizens and not to be seen as political apparatus.”
