EFCC Freezes Osun Government Account 10 Days to Governorship Election

 

By Abdulahi Musa 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly frozen a bank account belonging to the Osun State Government, barely 10 days before the state's governorship election scheduled for August 15.

According to documents, the affected account, domiciled with First Bank and reportedly used for the payment of workers' salaries, was placed on a "Post No Debit" (PND) restriction by the anti-graft agency. 

The development comes just hours after Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, alleged that the EFCC was planning to freeze the state's bank accounts and those of senior government officials ahead of the election. The governor had described the alleged move as an attempt to cripple government activities during the critical election period. 

Reacting to the reported action, the Osun State Government, through the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, condemned the development, insisting that the EFCC has no constitutional or statutory authority to freeze the accounts of a state government without due legal process.

Governor Adeleke maintained that there was no legal basis for the action, warning that such a move could disrupt governance and the payment of workers' salaries at a crucial time. 

A source within the state government, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the account had indeed been frozen.

" 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 said. 

As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not issued an official statement explaining the reason for the restriction or confirming the action.