The Osun State government has refuted an allegation made by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which claimed that N11 billion was misappropriated from the state’s account. The government described this accusation as an unsuccessful attempt to mask illegal activities through baseless claims.
In a statement released on Wednesday and signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo, the state asserted that the real motive behind the Commission’s freezing of the state account—allegedly under the directive of Gboyega Oyetola—was to obstruct the payment of palliatives promised to workers several months prior. The freezing of the account was characterized as the peak of Oyetola/Ambo’s historic anti-worker stance.
The state declared that it had already distributed palliatives to its workers after negotiations aimed at alleviating the economic difficulties faced by the country.
“We have successfully distributed the palliatives to all workers in Osun state. This latest disbursement comes as a result of negotiations prompted by workers’ requests to mitigate the impact of the harsh economic conditions. Providing such cost-of-living subsidies to Osun workers is not unprecedented.”
The statement emphasized that all evidence suggests the Commission is executing a politically motivated agenda for the Osun APC by unlawfully freezing state accounts and falsely accusing the government of misappropriating ecological and other funds. The state reassured that it does not misuse public funds but rather focuses on delivering public goods and services.
The statement highlighted that state resources have been directed toward infrastructure, worker welfare, and sectoral development.
“There are no funds to embezzle in Osun state, as our limited resources are utilized for major projects, worker welfare, and developmental initiatives aimed at benefiting the public. We refute any attempts to undermine our dedicated governor’s reputation.”
The government further claimed that since March 2026, the EFCC had been probing senior officials without uncovering any evidence of misconduct.
“The EFCC has been conducting what appears to be a witch-hunt since March 2026, yet no incriminating evidence has been found against senior officials. Government leaders are being harassed weekly, with these actions seemingly intended to distract them from providing quality governance to the Osun populace.”
“Osun has received numerous accolades for its transparency in budgeting and auditing. Even if we assumed, though without conceding, that the EFCC had evidence of financial misconduct, there are established procedures for addressing such issues rather than resorting to politically motivated, illegal freezing of government accounts without regard for legal protocols.”
“This is a regrettable situation where a commission will falsely portray a state negatively to cover up an unlawful act that has backfired. The Commission’s explanation is an afterthought and fails the test of truth both in reality and in the court of public opinion.”
This response followed the EFCC’s justification for freezing the Osun State Government accounts, which it claimed was necessary to prevent the alleged misdirection of public funds, notwithstanding the state’s governorship election on August 15.
