The fisticuffs about two weeks ago which later developed into an open verbal exchange between The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and the Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi is said to be the main reason why the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] are currently tightening up the nozzle in Rivers State.

However EFCC operatives have moved quickly to pour cold water on such a notion on there activities as a witch haunt scheme orchestrated by an aggrieved principal.

This is against a statement credited to the state Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi alleging that the financial watchdog agency was now a tool for oppressing political opponents and as such he was going to use his offices to mobilize the people of the state against this.

Spokesman to the EFCC, Mr Femi Babafemi said though he was aware that his men were in Rivers State but he does not know that actual identities of top government functionaries they were supposed to be seeing.

He denied any witch haunt ,as he insisted that they have been operating in the state for well over six years and they had even taken some of the state officials to court and now wondered why they were now been falsely accused.

But speaking at the Information Summit at Hotel Presidential ,Port Harcourt,Amaechi recalled that the commission always moved towards the state anytime elections were close ,pointing out that it was a second attempt at using EFCC to truncate his ambition.

He said his Commissioners For finance, local Government. And the chairmen of port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local Government area have been invited by the commission all in an attempt to indict him and stop in his tracks.

He advised EFCC to follow due process in the discharge of her duties while noting that he had nothing to be afraid of because his hands were pretty clean

Amaechi admitted that his performance as an administrator was on the high only because he had stared clear of the Godfatherism syndrome which has swept through our politics landscape.

He added that all his efforts are geared towards providing welfare policies and implementing them with a view to changing the lives of the people