The Ogun State Government announced on Tuesday that it has taken the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to the Supreme Court over its financial guidelines, which prevents cash withdrawals from public accounts.
However, the state denied being a party to a separate case at the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The Supreme Court has scheduled October 22 for the hearing of a suit filed by at least 16 state governments questioning the legality of the laws establishing the EFCC and two other agencies.
A seven-member panel of justices, led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, set the date after the states were joined as co-plaintiffs and the court granted leave for the consolidation of the suit, which was originally filed by the Kogi State Government through its Attorney General. In the case, marked SC/CV/178/2023, Ogun State was listed alongside Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Nassarawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, Plateau, Cross River, and Niger as co-plaintiffs.
However, in a statement released by Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Information and Strategy, Ogun State clarified that it is not involved in that particular case.
The statement explained that the state’s legal action is focused on contesting the NFIU’s financial guidelines, which it claims unfairly restrict the operations of state and local governments across the country.
According to Daily Trust, the NFIU had issued new guidelines before the 2023 general elections aimed at preventing money laundering, terrorist financing, and the proliferation of weapons. These guidelines prohibit cash withdrawals from public accounts and ban the payment of estacodes and overseas allowances to civil and public servants in cash.
