Osun State Government has rejected the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) explanation for freezing its bank accounts, alleging that the N11 billion diversion claim was an attempt to justify a politically motivated action against the administration.
Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, in a statement on Thursday, accused the EFCC of using the allegation as a cover for what he described as an unlawful move aimed at stopping the state’s planned payment of palliatives to workers.
The EFCC had on Wednesday said it froze the state government’s accounts over alleged fraudulent handling of N11 billion ecological and intervention funds, adding that it had been investigating the matter since March.
The commission also said some officials of the state government, including the accountant-general, had appeared before its investigators, while huge transfers were allegedly traced from the accounts to different corporate entities during the probe.
However, Alimi dismissed the EFCC’s explanation, insisting that the account freeze was connected to the N20,000 palliative payment announced by the state government for workers amid economic hardship.
“The real reason the commission froze the state account on the order of Gboyega Oyetola was to stop the payment of palliatives which the state government promised the workers some months ago,” he said.
The commissioner said the government had already paid the palliatives to workers across the state following negotiations with labour representatives.
Alimi accused the EFCC of “pursuing a hatchet job for Osun APC” through the account freeze, alleging that the investigation was aimed at distracting the administration from delivering on its programmes.
“We don’t loot public funds in Osun State; we deliver on public goods and services,” he said.
He maintained that the state’s resources were being committed to workers’ welfare, infrastructure projects and other areas of development, while rejecting what he described as attempts to tarnish Governor Ademola Adeleke’s image.
Alimi further alleged that the EFCC had been conducting a “witch-hunting investigation” since March without producing evidence against senior government officials.
The commissioner argued that if the anti-graft agency had evidence of financial misconduct, it should follow established legal procedures rather than freezing government accounts.
The development comes amid heightened political tension in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election, with Adeleke seeking re-election under the Accord Party platform.
The governor’s camp has previously accused federal agencies of intimidation ahead of the election, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed such claims as political excuses.
