The Edo State Government on Sunday raised the alarm that the arrest of its Accountant General, Mr. Julius Anelu, and four other officials of the State Treasury will no longer enable it to discharge its basic responsibilities and obligations.

The government also added that it will establish its activities and governance.

Recall that DAILY POST reported last Friday that the Accountant General and four other officials of the Edo State Government were arrested by the anti-corruption agency for being signatories to the accounts of the state government.

Chris Nehikhare, the state Commissioner for Communication and Guidance, sounded the alarm as he confirmed the arrest of the government officials.

Nehikhare said the officials were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an already disbursed loan for an agricultural facility.

He confirmed the arrest of the officials in a statement titled “Accountant General Edo, four others invited by EFCC for loan facility already repaid, officers detained to paralyze governance, governance”, made available to Benin City News.

He said the officials were invited to provide the necessary answers as required by the EFCC Benin Zonal Office last Thursday but were instead arrested and detained in the Abuja office of the agency.

He added that the arrest of the government personnel was subsequent to the invitation letter of the EFCC dated October 28, 2024.

“The EFCC seems intent on paralyzing governance in Edo State and playing out a scenario that poses grave danger to democracy.

“The reason for inviting these civil servants is clear; contrary to the letter of invitation, is to keep them in EFCC custody until November 12, the day this government ceases to exist.

“In fact, from Monday, the government will be grounded and will no longer be able to fulfill its basic responsibilities and obligations,” he said.

The commissioner said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in a letter dated October 28, 2024, invited four officials of the Edo State Treasury, including the Accountant General, Julius Anelu, to its office in Benin.

According to him, the letter of invitation, addressed to the Secretary to the State Government and titled “Agricultural Loans and Interventions to the Government of Edo State from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Loans (NIRSAL) ) 2018 to date’, refers to an agricultural facility that has since been reimbursed by the state government.

“Government officers, including the Accountant of State, on Thursday honored the invitation as requested to the Benin Office of the EFCC to provide the necessary responses.

“However, after realizing that one of the invited officials was no longer a signatory to the government account, the EFCC released the officer and requested the current signatory, whose name was not originally on the letter of invitation.

“The said officer is now detained by the agency in Abuja in addition to the others who were initially invited and honored the invitation,” he added.

Nehikhare, who alleged that the anti-corruption agency was playing a script, noted that the action poses a grave danger to democracy.

While he described the action as most reprehensible and reprehensible, he called on the EFCC to act responsibly in the interest of democracy, justice, peace and welfare of the Edo people by immediately releasing the government officials.

The Commissioner for Communication and Guidance, who also advised the agency not to throw Edo State into chaos, postulated that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government is running a transparent and accountable government.

He also added that the government lasts until November 12, 2024 and no unconstitutional actions should be taken to impede its operations.