Kehinde Fajobi
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has ordered the immediate freeze of all state-owned bank accounts.
His Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, announced this directive in a statement on Thursday, stating that the accounts would remain frozen until further notice.
“All state bank accounts with commercial banks have been frozen,” the statement read.
“Commercial banks must comply with this order and ensure that not a single naira is withdrawn from government coffers until further notice.”
Okpebholo warned commercial banks, as well as heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), to fully comply with the order without delay.
He cautioned that any defiance, including from MDAs and civil servants, would be met with “severe penalties.”
The governor’s statement noted that “following necessary investigations and reconciliations, the governor will take appropriate action and decide on the way forward.”
Additionally, Okpebholo directed the renaming of the Ministry of Roads and Bridges to its original title, the Ministry of Works, reversing a change made under former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
He criticised the previous designation, stating, “It is odd to name a government institution the Ministry of Roads and Bridges, especially when not a single bridge was built by the previous administration — not even a pedestrian bridge.”
The statement concluded with Okpebholo’s commitment to reviewing other decisions by the past administration and making further adjustments in the state’s best interests.