The Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, today expressed optimism that the same law court will unfreeze the frozen accounts of suspected sponsors of #EndSARS protests.
Governor Akeredolu similarly advised those affected by the action of the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to challenge the matter in court if they feel their accounts were unlawfully frozen or same were unjustifiably breached.
Akeredolu, who is the Chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum said, even though the CBN acted in line with the provisions of the law to freeze the accounts, the owners of the account should approach the court to challenge the decision.
According to him, those affected by the action of the apex bank have a right to expose the necessity or otherwise and even to repudiate the accusations slammed against them by the CBN as frivolous and unfair.
The Governor who was the guest at the Channels TV morning programme, Sunrise Daily said:
“Speaking very honestly, I don’t see anything wrong in it. If for instance, my account was frozen, what would I do? All I would do is go back to court to explain. The #EndSARS promoters should do that.
“Even politicians, their accounts are sometimes frozen. You have to go to court and explain. And at the end of the day, the court will say, ‘Leave the account. The account should be de-frozen’ and you take your money back.
“If your account is frozen, you justify why the money was there. You come to explain to what use you have put this money.
“If it is that ‘okay, we used this money to pay this caterer to give food to these boys when they were there. We spent money before the hoodlums took over,’ it will be explained, people will know and the accounts will be de-frozen.
“It is just that we (CBN) suspected this account then the owner of the account will explain; it is not a conclusion that those accounts were used for acts of treason.” the governor said.
Signed
Donald Ojogo
Hon. Commissioner for Information and Orientation,
Ondo State
