Less than 24 hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was planning to freeze the state government account domiciled with First Bank, the anti-graft agency has reportedly freezed the account, according to Vanguard.
The account, reportedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries, was placed on “Post No Debit” status by the anti-graft agency.
The development came hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke raised the alarm that the EFCC was planning to freeze the state government’s accounts and those of top government officials ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
In a statement issued earlier on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, Adeleke described the alleged move as an attempt to cripple government activities before the poll.
The governor had insisted that there was no legal basis for freezing the accounts of a state government, arguing that the EFCC lacked the statutory powers to take such action.
However, a source reportedly told Vanguard that the account had already been restricted.
“I can confirm that the state government account has been frozen by the EFCC. It is no longer an allegation. The governor will address the press shortly to update the public on the situation,” the source reportedly told Vanguard.
The reason for the restriction was not immediately known as of the time of filing this report.
The EFCC had yet to issue an official statement on the development.
The development comes as Osun prepares for its August 15 governorship election, with the account restriction expected to generate political reactions ahead of the poll.
Meanwhile, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, had said he has the mandate of the governor to sue the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for freezing the government accounts.
Jimi-Bada said a ‘Post no debit’ letter from the EFCC was forwarded to the management of the First Bank where Osun government accounts were domiciled on Wednesday.
The commissioner, who expressed readiness to proceed to court, said the move by the anti-graft agency may hamper government’s business, noted that Governor Ademola Adeleke was not using state funds to run its campaign for reelection.
“I have the mandate of the governor to proceed to the Federal High Court to challenge this move. EFCC can investigate the accounts but it can’t freeze the accounts without order of court.
