Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has directed the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to challenge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in court over the freezing of a government bank account reportedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries.
The directive follows the EFCC’s decision to place a “Post No Debit” restriction on an Osun State Government account domiciled with First Bank, effectively preventing transactions from being carried out through the account.
Speaking to journalists at the Government House in Osogbo, Governor Adeleke condemned the action, describing it as a violation of the rule of law and due process. He insisted that the anti-graft agency should publicly explain the reasons behind the account restriction and present evidence to justify its decision.
According to the governor, the people of Osun State deserve to know why an account belonging to their government was frozen without a publicly stated justification.
“All I ask is for the EFCC Chairman to explain to the good people of Osun State and Nigerians in general why he froze the Osun State Government account and provide evidence to support whatever reason he presents. This and other actions being taken against Osun State are turning our democracy into a huge joke,” Adeleke stated.
Governor Adeleke further instructed the Attorney-General to immediately file a suit before the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, seeking legal redress over the matter.
He also called on residents of Osun State and Nigerians to closely monitor the development, describing the issue as one of significant public interest with implications for democratic governance and constitutional rights.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not issued any official statement explaining the reason for placing the restriction on the state government’s account.
The outcome of the legal challenge is expected to determine whether the EFCC acted within the law or exceeded its powers in freezing the account allegedly designated for salary payments.
