With the November 12 handover date looming, outgoing Governor Obaseki faces escalating challenges as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched a disruptive operation in the state, effectively paralyzing government functions.
The EFCC, acting under the directive of influential figures, targeted state officials who are signatories to the state account, resulting in their arrest and detention.
Among those apprehended was Edo State’s Accountant General, Mr. Julius Anelu, along with four additional government officials.
According to security sources, EFCC operatives from the Benin zonal office carried out these arrests on Thursday, October 31. This operation has caused substantial unrest within government circles and brought state activities to a standstill.
The repercussions of the EFCC’s actions are dire, particularly affecting the disbursement of salaries, pensions, and other crucial statutory payments for civil servants, all of which have been frozen due to the detainment of the authorized signatories.
Sources within the EFCC indicate that those arrested will remain in custody until November 12, coinciding with the conclusion of Governor Obaseki’s tenure.
Furthermore, the arrests have intensified security concerns across the state, severely impacting critical financial obligations, including expenditures for security operations, which have now been compromised due to the absence of effective leadership from the state’s Accountant General.
Sen Monday Okpevbolo, who is set to assume office on November 12, issued a press statement through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Godswill Inegbe, in which he exonerated himself from any involvement in the recent arrests, insisting he learned about the arrests from media reports.
The statement read: “To clarify and inform the general public, the Governor-elect, like every citizen of Edo State, learned of the arrests of Mr. Julius Anelu and other state officials through media reports. The arrests by the EFCC were reportedly aimed at preventing last-minute withdrawals from the state’s accounts.”
The statement also referenced earlier warnings to the public and relevant security agencies about the ongoing looting of funds and theft of government property at the Government House in Benin and across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The EFCC’s arrests and detention of key officials, who are signatories to the government account, may have inadvertently revealed the extent of the looting of state funds and the appropriation of government properties by certain high-ranking officials.
While the Edo APC is accused of showing little respect for Gov Obaseki, the EFCC’s actions further illustrate the animosity between the outgoing and incoming administrations.
Analysts have criticized the EFCC’s approach, suggesting that those found guilty should be arraigned rather than being held in indefinite detention.
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