Shina Abubakar, Olayinka Ajayi, Dickson Omobola LAGOS — President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to immediately approach the court to vacate the order freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government. The President said he was deeply embarrassed by the timing of the EFCC’s action especially when the state’s governorship election will hold in few days time. The President’s directive followed the controversy generated by the EFCC’s move to freeze the state government’s accounts, coming days before the Osun State governorship election. He also called Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, and informed him of his directive to the EFCC to vacate the court order freezing the state’s account. Meanwhile, following President Tinubu’s directives to the EFCC to unfreeze Osun State’s account, the state government has commended the President for the huge intervention, describing it as a victory for rule of law. In another development, Governor Adeleke, yesterday slammed a N2 billion suit on the EFCC, over what he termed unlawful freezing of the state’s Federal Statutory Allocation Account./ He prayed the court to award N2 billion against the defendants to serve as “exemplary and aggravated damages for the unlawful interference with public funds,” as well as an order directing the defendants to pay the costs of the litigation. Meanwhile, the Osun State Government rejected the EFCC position that its bank accounts were frozen over alleged “diversion of N11 billion ecological and intervention funds,” insisting that the commission’s action was politically-motivated. This came as former vice-president and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, described EFCC’s action as an assault on democracy, warning that public institutions must not be turned into political weapons against opposition parties. Also, the ADC, said President Tinubu’s directive to the EFCC, to reverse the freezing order had undermined claims that the anti-graft agency operates independently of the Presidency. An ADC House of Assembly candidate for Eti-Osa Constituency II, Lagos, Ayodele Adio, has criticised the statement attributed to the Presidency directing the EFCC to vacate what it described as a court order suspending the accounts of the Osun State government, describing the claim as misleading and legally untenable. But the EFCC, yesterday, insisted that its temporary restriction on an Osun State Government bank account was lawful and backed by provisions of the EFCC Act and the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act. In a statement, yesterday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu said he was concerned about the timing of the action, noting that steps taken by federal institutions are often attributed to him as President, even when he may not have prior knowledge of such actions. The statement said the President was not embarrassed by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate, backed by a court order, but by the timing of the action. “Since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference,” Tinubu said. He stated that he had deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative or prosecutorial agencies because strong democratic institutions operating within the law are essential to good governance and the rule of law. According to the President, institutions of state have been established by law with clearly defined powers and must be allowed to function independently. Tinubu said although he was yet to be fully briefed on the facts that informed the EFCC’s decision to approach the court for the freezing order, he believed the timing of the action was inappropriate. “Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the Federal Government is being used to interfere with the election,” he said. The President said he was compelled to intervene in the matter in the overriding public interest to preserve confidence in the integrity, credibility and fairness of the democratic process. “Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State government in this regard,” Tinubu stated. Tinubu calls Adeleke after mandating EFCC to rescind order President Tinubu also called Governor Adeleke on phone to assure him that he had mandated the EFCC, to take steps to vacate an
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