By Ayo Ayodele
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has ordered the state’s Attorney-General to institute legal action against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the freezing of a state government bank account.
The governor’s directive followed the anti-graft agency’s decision to place a “Post No Debit” restriction on an Osun State Government account domiciled with First Bank.
Addressing journalists at the Government House in Osogbo on Wednesday, Adeleke described the action as a violation of the rule of law and called on the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, to publicly explain the basis for the restriction.
He urged Nigerians and residents of Osun State to closely monitor the development, insisting that the commission should provide evidence to justify its action.
According to the governor, the freezing of the account, reportedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries, raises serious concerns about democratic governance.
Adeleke said he had directed the Attorney-General to file a suit before the Federal High Court in Osogbo to challenge the legality of the EFCC’s decision.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not issued any official statement explaining the reason for placing the account under restriction.