By Sandra Kenneth
Barely ten days before the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly placed a “Post No Debit” restriction on an Osun State Government account domiciled with First Bank.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that the affected account is primarily utilized by the state government for paying civil servants’ salaries.
The action by the anti-graft agency comes just hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke raised an alarm alleging a plot by the EFCC to freeze state accounts and target key government functionaries ahead of the polls.
Reacting to the development in a statement issued on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, described the move as a deliberate attempt to paralyze government operations and sabotage the administration ahead of the election.
Governor Adeleke maintained that the EFCC lacks the statutory power and legal justification to freeze state government accounts.
A high-ranking government source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the enforcement of the restriction.
“I can confirm that the state government account has been frozen by the EFCC. It is no longer just an allegation. The governor will address the press shortly to provide an official update on the situation,” the source stated.
As of press time, the EFCC has not released an official statement regarding the development, and the specific reasons behind the account restriction remain unknown.
