The Osun State Government has rejected allegations that it mismanaged or diverted ₦11 billion in public funds, insisting there was no financial misconduct behind the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) decision to freeze its bank accounts. The government described the allegation as false and accused the anti-graft agency of trying to justify what it called an unlawful action with unfounded claims.
Government gives its own explanation
In a statement posted on X on Thursday, Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, claimed the real reason behind the account freeze was to stop the payment of palliatives promised to workers. According to the statement, the action followed the instruction of former Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola.
“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 government, however, said the account restriction did not stop the payment. It added that all eligible workers have already received the palliatives after negotiations aimed at cushioning the effects of the country’s economic hardship.
Osun denies looting allegation
The state government insisted that it has not looted public funds. It said available resources have been used to execute infrastructure projects, improve workers’ welfare and fund other development programmes across the state.
According to the statement, there was no money to loot because the government committed its limited resources to projects that benefit residents. The government also rejected the EFCC’s claim that it diverted Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations.
Accuses EFCC of political bias
The Osun Government accused the EFCC of carrying out a politically motivated investigation in the interest of the All Progressives Congress (APC). It also alleged that the anti-graft agency has investigated senior government officials since March 2026 without finding any evidence of wrongdoing. According to the statement, officials have faced repeated questioning designed to distract them from governance.
Calls for due process
The government argued that if the EFCC truly had evidence of corruption, it should have followed established legal procedures instead of freezing the state’s accounts. It further described the commission’s allegation as an afterthought aimed at defending an action that had already attracted widespread criticism. The Osun Government maintained that it would continue to defend its position through legal means while insisting that it has managed public funds responsibly.
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