Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has directed the immediate freezing of all state-owned bank accounts, instructing commercial banks and heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to comply without delay.
The directive, announced on Thursday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, is to remain in effect until further notice.
According to the statement, Governor Okpebholo emphasized strict adherence to this order, warning that any civil servant or MDA head found disregarding it will face severe consequences. “All state bank accounts in commercial banks are frozen, and no funds should be withdrawn until further instructions are given,” the statement read. The governor indicated that the decision was made to facilitate necessary investigations and account reconciliations before determining the next steps.
In a separate directive, Governor Okpebholo also ordered the renaming of the Ministry of Roads and Bridges back to the Ministry of Works, a title previously changed during former Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration. Criticizing the prior administration’s lack of road and bridge projects, Okpebholo called the former name “absurd,” highlighting that no significant infrastructure, including pedestrian bridges, was constructed.
The governor’s office indicated that further evaluations of actions taken by the previous administration are underway, with additional decisions to follow in the coming days aimed at benefiting the state.
