The Network of Edo Lawyers last night asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Police to freeze the bank accounts of Edo State Government ahead of the November 12 inauguration of the new governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
The lawyers frowned at the swearing in of a new Accountant General by the outgoing governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, alleging that the action was a plot to enable the administration withdraw more money from the banks.
The EFCC had picked the state’s Accountant General and two other officials last week, following questionable last minute withdrawals from the state accounts, a development which made the governor to swear in a replacement yesterday.
In a petition to EFCC, the group of lawyers called on the anti-graft agency and the Nigeria Police Force to freeze Edo State Government accounts, as “Governor Obaseki has gone berserk, pulling out all revenues that belong to the state, six days to leaving office.”
The statement signed by leader of the network, Julius Ilenkhe, noted that the governor yesterday swore in a new Accountant General to enable him pull out the remaining resources of Edo State in some banks.
According to him, “these monies belong to Edo State and not Obaseki. He tried to use supplementary budget, which the Speaker of Edo State turned down.
Read Also: Edun defends FG’s key economic reforms
“Now he wants to clear the state accounts in all the banks by appointing a new Accountant General, since the former Accountant General is cooling off with EFCC over suspicious withdrawal of over N14 billion last week.
“The race to protect Edo State must be collective, as one man cannot destroy the state because of his high appetite.
“It is important that all security agencies and the good people of the state and Nigeria join hands to prevent this arbitrary looting of public funds.
“Obaseki is not spending money on any transition process. So what does he need these billions of Naira for?”