Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has directed the anti- financial crimes agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to take immediate steps to vacate a court order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government in southwestern Nigeria.
President Tinubu said in a statement on Thursday in Abuja that he became aware that the EFCC obtained the court order on Aug. 5 and that although he respected the statutory independence of the anti-corruption agencies, he was concerned about the timing of the action.
According to Tinubu, every action taken by a federal institution is often attributed to the Presidency, irrespective of whether he had prior knowledge of such action.
Tinubu said that his administration had consistently allowed anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to perform their constitutional responsibilities independently, professionally and without political interference.
He noted that he had deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative agencies because of his commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and the rule of law.
Tinubu said that he had not been fully briefed on the facts that informed the EFCC’s application for the court order.
He, however, maintained that the timing of the action was inappropriate, considering the proximity of the Osun State governorship election.
According to him, no action should create the impression that the EFCC or any federal agency is being used to influence or interfere with the electoral process.
Tinubu added that preserving public confidence in the integrity, credibility and fairness of Nigeria’s democratic process remained paramount.
He said that in the overriding public interest, he had directed the EFCC to immediately approach the court to vacate the order freezing the state’s accounts and discontinue the action instituted against the Osun State Government.
The Nigerian leader reaffirmed his commitment to democratic governance, the independence of public institutions and the rule of law.
GIK/APA