07/08/2026
It still doesn’t make sense that a federal agency can be so powerful as to unilaterally freeze or place a Post-No-Debit (PND) order on a State Government account. This offends every democratic norm and is alien to the basic principles of the rule of law.
State Governments in Nigeria are increasingly treated like appendages of the Federal Government. They seem to be at the mercy of the Presidency and, consequently, are rendered inconsequential in the scheme of things.
The singular act of the present EFCC in freezing the Osun State Government account should never be justified, under any circumstances or timing. A State Government is a constitutionally recognised tier of government, not a subordinate department of the Federal Government. Any action capable of crippling its finances must therefore be subjected to the strictest constitutional, legal and judicial scrutiny.
It is, however, reassuring that President Tinubu expressed his displeasure and disappointment and ordered the EFCC to unfreeze the account.
But this should not end with the unfreezing of the account.
Things like this are not only a national embarrassment; they have far-reaching international consequences. They can undermine confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions, raise questions about the predictability and legitimacy of government action, and ultimately discourage Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
There must be institutional accountability and consequences to serve as a deterrent against such institutional foolery and recklessness.
Nigeria cannot build a credible democracy where federal institutions operate as though constitutional boundaries are optional. The rule of law must apply not only to citizens, but equally—and perhaps more importantly—to the institutions of government.
No federal agency should be above the Constitution. No State Government should be treated as an appendage. And no exercise of public power should be without accountability.
Shadrach Emmanuel
