Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, issued a directive to freeze all state-owned bank accounts, effective immediately.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, released a statement on Thursday confirming that the freeze will remain in place until further notice, with strict instructions for commercial banks and heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to comply without delay.
“All state bank accounts with commercial banks are hereby frozen,” the statement read.
“Commercial banks are directed to ensure that no funds are withdrawn from government coffers until further notice.
Heads of MDAs must ensure immediate compliance, and any violation of this directive will result in severe penalties,” the statement added.
Governor Okpebholo also ordered the restoration of the Ministry of Roads and Bridges to its previous title, the Ministry of Works, reversing a change made by former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The statement noted, “It is odd to name a government institution the Ministry of Roads and Bridges, especially given the absence of new bridges by the previous administration, not even a pedestrian bridge.”
The governor emphasized that additional actions taken by the previous administration would be reviewed in the coming days, with further steps planned to serve the best interests of Edo State.
