Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has ordered the immediate freezing of all state-owned bank accounts until further notice.
The directive, issued on Thursday, also applies to all commercial banks, which are required to comply without delay.
Fred Itua, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, made the announcement in a statement, warning that any failure to follow the order would result in severe penalties.
“All bank accounts in all commercial banks have been frozen. Commercial banks must comply with this order and ensure that not a dime is taken out of the government’s coffers until further notice,” Itua quoted Governor Okpebholo as saying.
The statement further emphasized that heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) must also ensure full compliance. “Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies must comply with this order and ensure that there is full compliance without any further delays,” it read.
Read also: FRSC deploys 1,500 personnel for Ondo guber election
Governor Okpebholo also announced that the necessary investigations and reconciliations would take place before any further decisions are made. “After the necessary investigations and reconciliations, the Governor will do the needful and decide on the way forward. For now, this order stands,” the statement continued.
In addition to the banking directive, Governor Okpebholo ordered a reversal of the controversial Ministry of Roads and Bridges to its original designation as the Ministry of Works. This decision follows the Governor’s criticism of the previous administration, led by Godwin Obaseki, for its failure to deliver any new roads or bridges during its tenure.
“It is funny how you can call a government institution the Ministry of Roads and Bridges, when ironically, no single bridge was built by the same administration. Not even a pedestrian bridge,” Governor Okpebholo remarked.
The Governor concluded by stating that further decisions would be made regarding actions taken by the previous administration, all in the best interests of Edo State.
“In the coming days, we will look at more actions taken by the previous administration and more decisions will be taken that will be done in the best interest of the State,” the statement concluded.
The post New Edo gov, Okpebholo, orders immediate freeze on all state bank accounts appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.