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Tinubu orders EFCC to unfreeze Osun govt account, says timing embarrassing
Nigeria’s president Bola Tinubu has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate a court order freezing an account belonging to Osun State government.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the president on Thursday, where he called the agency’s timing embarrassing.
“I must state that I feel deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order, but by the timing of the agency’s action.
“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” Tinubu said.
The president noted that “every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action.”
He further emphasized his administration’s consistency in ensuring “that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies…be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference,” since assuming office.
“I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law,” he stated.
He however stressed that the “timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious,” and as such, was compelled to intervene.
“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election,” Tinubu wrote.
Osun State governor Ademola Adeleke had on Tuesday accused the EFCC of freezing one of the state government’s accounts domiciled with a commercial bank, placing the account on a “Post No Debit” status, adding that the commission was also planning to freeze the accounts of some top government functionaries in the state.
“All I ask is for the EFCC chairman to explain to the good people of Osun State and to Nigerians in general why he froze Osun State Government account and show proof to support whatever reason he presents. This and all other illegalities being visited on Osun are turning our democracy into a huge joke,” Adeleke had said.
The agency in its defence had claimed that the decision to freeze the account was prompted by suspicious movement of funds from the account.
“The Commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved.
“The EFCC’s preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources. The Commission cannot watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged. While the Commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state,” EFCC said in a statement.
The anti graft agency added that an upcoming election cannot be used as an excuse to prevent the commission from carrying out its legal duties, stating that it would be “uncharitable for the Commission” to do so.
