EFCC unfreezes Benue govt’s accounts

The Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) has unfrozen the accounts of the Benue State Government.

Chief Press Secretary to Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue state, Terve Akase, stated this on Thursday, August 9, 2018.

The accounts were frozen following investigations by the EFCC on the alleged abuse of security votes for the state.

The state government had described the action as an alleged political witch-hunt aimed at frustrating Governor Ortom’s efforts after he left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“The action of EFCC is already having a negative impact on the running of government in Benue State,” the state government said.

“It is a move that will affect salaries, pensions and other sundry payments. The question we are asking is; why did EFCC not investigate the Governor’s security votes when he was still a member of APC?” the government asked.

Zamfara state governor, Abdul’Aziz Yari, who chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the PDP had also condemned the EFCC’s action.

Yari had described the freezing the accounts of the government as unconstitutional.

The PDP faulted the EFCC for the action, as well as for freezing the accounts of Akwa Ibom State.

In a series of tweets, the PDP said the action of the EFCC “could not be justified under any guise within the dictates of the Nigerian Constitution”.

The PDP consequently asked President Muhammadu Buhari to order the EFCC to unfreeze the accounts, warning that the action was capable of unleashing hardship on the people in the states.

Meanwhile, the EFCC has denied reports that it had also frozen the accounts of the Akwa-Ibom state government.