The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has been issued a 72-hour ultimatum or removed by President Muhammadu Buhari through the National Assembly.
The ultimatum was issued on Friday by over 30 civil society
organizations following allegations of “terrorism financing and economic
crimes” leveled against the CBN governor by Nigeria’s State Security Service.
The state service had
sought permission to arrest and detain Emefiele to aid further investigation
but was denied by a Federal High Court in Abuja on account of lack of
sufficient evidence.
However, the National
Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), the Citizens Network Against Corruption and
Terrorism Financing and over 27 civil society advocacy groups have called on
Emefiele to humbly resign or risk being disgraced out of office.
The groups said should
the CBN governor fail to step down, they would be forced to demand his sacking
by President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly.
“…if there is still a modicum of honour left in Mr. Emefiele, he
should immediately resign and submit himself for security examination. We,
therefore, offer the assistance of urging the CBN Governor – Mr. Godwin
Emefiele – to immediately tender his resignation.
“And if he fails to do so within 72 hours, both President
Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly should invoke the relevant laws to
remove him,” the group said in a statement jointly signed by their
representatives.
It added, “Mr. Emefiele
is an economic disaster who has messed up every interventionist programme of
the Buhari administration, including the Anchor Borrowers Programme and the
credit facilities supposedly extended to Farmers through the Nigeria
Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).
“For clarity, under his
poor oversight, the former Managing Director of the NIRSAL continued to stay in
office over a 2018 allegation of corruption amounting to a princely sum of N5.6
billion. He was only removed from office last month after multiple protests and
petitions to that effect.
“It is also under his
direction, supervision and control that the worst Forex round-tripping regime
and scam in the history of Nigeria has been allegedly perpetuated. How then can
such a man become an emergency saint and economic messiah simply because there
is a credible question of National Security sabotage for him to answer?
“Yes, we must admit that there appears to be a coincidence between the maturity of the DSS investigation into his involvement in terrorism financing and the introduction of his military-fashioned cashless policy (which was done without any consultation with critical stakeholders, including experts in the financial sector and the representatives of the Nigerian people).
However, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), the Citizens Network Against Corruption and Terrorism Financing and over 27 civil society advocacy groups have called on Emefiele to humbly resign or risk being disgraced out of office.
The groups said should the CBN governor fail to step down; they would be forced to demand his sacking by President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly.
remove him,” the group said in a statement jointly signed by their representatives.
“But importantly, we urge the DSS to be unwavering in carrying out its National Security duties. No amount of blackmail or intimidation must make it backtrack from the truest and deepest professionalism that its duties require. They have our support and that of other patriots. Nigeria must remain safe, no matter whose ox is gored.
“Let us even seize this moment to salute the DSS for remaining focused and firm in the face of this organized campaign to blackmail the Service. More campaigns are coming. But the DSS must remain strong as long as it is working with the security facts at its disposal.
“We demand of the Federal Government to activate international protocols under the INTERPOL and get Mr. Emefiele back to the country to answer to his alleged crimes. For too long he has presented a fake front and agenda to the president. This must not be allowed to persist.
“There are salient questions Nigerians are asking Emefiele at this critical juncture to wit:
Are You A Terrorist? If You Are Not, Why are you on the run? Notable Nigerians have been quizzed by the DSS. Why Are You Hiding From Scrutiny? Can You Run The Central Bank Of Nigeria From Abroad? Is Mr. Emefiele too big to be quizzed and detained?”
The statement was signed by Solomon Adodo, President and Convener of the NYCN, Okpanachi Jacob, Convener of Civil Society Advocacy Groups for Accountability and Probity; and Balarabe Musa, National Coordinator of Citizens Network Against Corruption and Terrorism Financing.
Others are Suleiman Musa, Executive Secretary of Empowerment for Unemployed Youths Initiative; Igwe Ude-umanta, Director-General of Nigerian Youth Center for Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development, Gbolahan Adeyemi, President of the Association of Artisans and Informal Workers, Chukwudi Oluoha, Executive Director, Coalition for Transparency and Accountability; and Friday Onuh, President, Independent Security Monitoring and Assessment Team.
0 Comments