Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, has ordered a freeze of all bank accounts belonging to the state government.

Okpebholo issued the directive on Thursday through Fred Itua, chief press secretary to the governor.

He asked commercial banks, ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to immediately comply with the order or face severe consequences.

“All bank accounts in all the commercial banks have been frozen. Commercial banks must comply with the order and ensure that not a dime is taken out of the coffers of Government until further notice,” the statement reads.

“Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies must comply with this order without further delays.

“After the necessary investigations and reconciliations, the Governor will do the needful and decide on the way forward. For now, this order stands.”

Okpebholo also directed relevant agencies to reverse the naming of the ministry of roads and bridges to the ministry of works — a nomenclature changed during the Godwin Obaseki administration.

“It is funny how you can call a Government institution Ministry of Roads and Bridges,” the statement reads.

“Ironically, no single bridge was built by the same administration. Not even a pedestrian bridge

“In the coming days, we will look at more actions taken by the previous administration and more decisions will be taken that will be done in the best interest of the state.”

The development comes days after Okpebholo took over the reins of power in Edo.

The governor had earlier ordered an indefinite suspension of revenue collection in the state — including at motor parks.

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed two facilities in Abuja and Kogi for breaching environmental laws.

The facilities are Geld Construction Limited, located in Abaji, FCT, and Arno Energy, a charcoal production company in Okaba, Kogi.

In a statement on Wednesday, Amaka Ejiofor, NESREA’s spokesperson, said the companies were sealed for failure to conduct their environmental impact assessment (EIA).

Ejiofor noted that the facilities also failed to provide important environmental documents, including an air quality permit, an environmental audit report, and a waste management permit, necessary for maintaining standards in companies.

“The EIA provides guidance on mitigating the negative impact of a facility’s operations on the environment,” the statement reads.

“Their failure to do so led to the closure of the facilities to save human health and the environment.”

The NESREA’s spokesperson added that the facilities were also operating in an environmentally harmful manner, resulting in negative impacts on the host communities and the environment.

She said procedural measures, including the issuance of compliance notices, had been taken to force the facilities to address and rectify their violations.

Innocent Barikor, the director-general of NESREA, urged industry operators to ensure their activities and operations follow the stipulations of the law.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) recently intensified its campaign against counterfeit alcohol, dismantling an illicit production operation in Lugbe, Abuja.

This raid uncovered large quantities of fake alcoholic beverages and expired ingredients with altered dates, underscoring NAFDAC’s commitment to clamping down on dangerous, substandard goods.

In an operation led by Mr. Shaba Mohammed, Director of NAFDAC’s Federal Task Force, enforcement teams seized counterfeit alcohol and discovered equipment used to repackage these products in reused bottles.

“This operation is part of a broader effort to target hotspots for counterfeit goods,” said Mohammed. “Lugbe has become a focal point for producing and distributing these fake alcoholic products, with bottles labeled to mimic popular brands and expiration dates altered to deceive consumers.”

The confiscated products had been packaged in residential settings, where counterfeiters relied on imitation packaging materials to produce fraudulent versions of popular alcoholic drinks.

In light of this, NAFDAC has now sealed the facility and launched investigations into those involved.

Mohammed emphasized that this crackdown marks one of many enforcement actions the agency has planned in Abuja to curb the circulation of substandard alcoholic beverages, especially as the festive season approaches, when demand traditionally increases.

The crackdown in Abuja mirrors other enforcement actions nationwide, as NAFDAC continues to monitor markets and address the surge in unregistered and counterfeit products. Mr. Tamanuwa Andrew, Deputy Director of NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement in Kaduna, reported similar discoveries in Wuse Market and Mararaba, a bustling community on the border of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State.

“We’ve seen an increase in unregistered herbal remedies and pharmaceutical products alongside counterfeit alcohol,” said Andrew. “Our surveillance is ongoing, with the aim of clearing these products from the markets and protecting public health.”