Accountant-general’s Arrest: EFCC Wants To Cripple Governance in Edo – Obaseki
The outgoing Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of a grand plot to cripple governance in the State following the arrest and detention of five treasury officials, including the Accountant-General, Julius Anelu.
Obaseki stated this in a statement by the State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare.
He explained that the EFCC’s invitation, dated October 28, 2024, requested the officials to appear at the EFCC office in Benin to answer questions related to a repaid agricultural loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).
Nehikhare added that while the invited officials complied by visiting the Benin office, one officer who was no longer a signatory to state accounts was later released.
But, the EFCC then detained a replacement signatory, transferring several officials to its Abuja office.
“The EFCC seems intent on crippling governance in Edo State and appears to be following a script with serious implications for democracy,” Nehikhare stated.
“Governor Godwin Obaseki leads a transparent and accountable government,” he said. “Unconstitutional actions should not be used to hinder the operations of this administration.”
Meanwhile, the Governor-elect Senator Monday Okpebholo has justified the arrest saying that it will prevent unauthorised withdrawals from state accounts.
In a statement by his spokesperson, Godswill Inegbe, Okpebholo also denied the allegation that he was behind the arrest. He described it as “a concoction” by members of the PDP and the outgoing administration.
