The Osun State Government has rejected allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that it diverted or mismanaged N11 billion in ecological and intervention funds.
The denial comes after the EFCC froze one of the state government’s bank accounts on Wednesday, August 5, saying it detected suspicious transfers involving ecological and intervention funds into private corporate accounts.
Responding to the allegations, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, insisted that no financial misconduct had occurred.
Alimi accused the anti-graft agency of acting at the behest of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, alleging that the account was frozen to frustrate the state government’s planned payment of palliatives to workers.
“The real reason the commission froze the state account on the order of Gboyega Oyetola was to stop the payment of palliatives which the state government promised the workers some months ago,” the statement said.
The state government maintained that the EFCC’s allegations were unfounded and reiterated that no N11 billionbelonging to Osun State had been looted.
The EFCC, however, has maintained that the account freeze was a preventive measure aimed at protecting public funds while investigations into the alleged financial transactions continue.