MDAs, Others Impacted by Freezing of Accounts

MDAs, including ministries, departments, and agencies, are experiencing a slowdown in their activities and schedules due to the freezing of their accounts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Civil servants express their dissatisfaction with the lack of funds, which is impeding their work and affecting their expectations.

Both senior government officials and lower-ranking officers have voiced their concerns about the unavailability of funds and its negative impact on their operations.

The federal government has reportedly imposed a ban on further payments to MDAs until further notice.

According to officials, the freezing order was issued by the previous administration under President Muhammadu Buhari shortly before he handed over power to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The intention of the order was to prevent any misuse of government funds or last-minute frivolous spending.

“I can tell you that it was the administration of former President Buhari that actually gave the directive to the CBN, and this has nothing to do with the suspended governor of the apex bank, Godwin Emefiele,” a senior government official, who pleaded anonymity, said.

Workers in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) have expressed their dissatisfaction with the financial constraints they are currently facing.

Two employees mentioned that this was one of the reasons why the June 12 celebration was low-key and why Senator George Akume, the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) had a modest inauguration on June 7.

Additionally, senior officials in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHoCSF) informed Daily Trust on Sunday that they were taken by surprise.

They were expecting the freezing order to be issued by the Tinubu administration, but were shocked to discover that it was actually implemented by the Buhari administration.

They were unclear about the reasons behind this decision.

“We first get the information from our colleagues from the SGF, who asked us if we had such experience on non-disbursement of funds. I even told one of them that there were still mandates and schedules to be met, until two of our memos were returned with minutes on the freezing of the accounts,” another official said.

It has been reported that besides the direct payment of salaries to federal workers, which is handled by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, all other payments or financial mandates cannot be fulfilled due to the existing embargo.

There is growing concern over the news that President Tinubu has instructed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to dissolve the management and boards of federal agencies and parastatals.

Confidentially, senior government officials have informed our reporter that the dissolution is expected to be announced soon.

One official expressed concern regarding the approach to be taken in the dissolution process, particularly in regard to individuals whose tenure is protected by the enabling acts of their respective organizations.

Senior government officials have stated that the dissolution will encompass all ministries, departments, and agencies, and will affect all political appointments made by the Buhari administration.

This development follows the indefinite suspension of AbdulRasheed Bawa as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on June 14.

The suspension is intended to allow for a thorough investigation into Bawa’s conduct while in office.

Furthermore, this comes less than two weeks after the suspension of Emefiele on June 9.

When contacted, Mr. Willie Bassey, the Director of Information at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation said he was unaware of these developments.

He pointed out that official communication channels exist for such matters and that he had not been informed of any such developments.