The Benue State Commissioner for
Finance, David Olofu, on Thursday declared that the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, had unfrozen the state accounts.....
Olofu told our correspondent on Thursday
that the affected banks informed the state government late on Wednesday
of the directives vacating the earlier order.
The Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Terver Akase, had on Wednesday confirmed the freezing of the state accounts.
The finance commissioner while speaking
with our correspondent on Tuesday, said, “We received an advisory from
our bankers that the accounts of the state government have been placed
on suspension.
“These accounts are the accounts of local government, Benue State Government House, and Benue State Government.
“The advisory did not say specifically
the reason for freezing the accounts; so I will be speculating if I say I
know. But the latest news now is that I got an advisory from the same
banks that is from the Fidelity and United Bank for Africa that the
directives to suspend the state government accounts had been lifted and
no reason was given for that”, the commissioner stated.
When asked whether he had been invited
by the anti-graft agency on the allegation of the N22bn security votes
under investigation, Olofu who answered in affirmative, expressed worry
over the investigation of the security votes.
He said, “Going to the EFCC is a
routine, I have been there on a couple of times to throw more light on
government expenditures, stating how government expenditures are made.
“On the issue of the security votes, I
have been invited, they wanted to know specifically whether it was
captured in the budget and we provided necessary documents.
“But you need to bear one thing in mind
whether it is right to investigate security votes because one cannot
advance how many invasions that the communities will be subjected to, so
some of the expenditures cannot be estimated in advance.
“But as government, when making the
budget, you make provisional arrangements for security and you spend as
situation arises,” Olofu said.
The commissioner commended Nigerians and
the leader of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for standing against
impunity, stressing that Governor Ortom was being persecuted for no just
cause.
Similarly, Akase lamented the alleged persecution of the state Governor, Samuel Ortom, since he defected to the PDP.
Akase said the Nigerian Broadcasting
Corporation, was already threatening the state-owned radio for what he
described as alleged lopsidedness in the coverage of state and national
activities.
Akase, in a statement issued on behalf
of the governor, appreciated patriotic Nigerians for their solidarity,
support and prayers which he said enabled the nation as well as Benue
State to overcome the recent acts of impunity.
The statement reads, ‘The governor
believes the nationwide condemnation which trailed the police and DSS
siege to the Benue State House of Assembly as well as the invasion of
the National Assembly will be remembered and appreciated by patriots now
and in the future.
“He said the condemnation of the EFCC’s
freezing of the state’s accounts and general outcry had made the organization to unfreeze the said accounts.
No comments: