…Emefiele handed CBN control to Buhari seven years ago, Ezekwesili alleges
…Sack Emefiele now lawyer tells Buhari
Knocks have continued to trail Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Godwin Emefiele picking of All Progressives Congress Party’s N100m Presidential form on Friday.
As Former Nigeria’s former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, A human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun have become the latest critiques of the Emefiele venture into politics.
Sixty-year-old Emefiele was appointed the CBN governor in 2014 and has since remained at the apex bank. Under him, the naira has wobbled against the dollar and now exchanges at N560/$1 from around N150/$1 when he came into office.
In February, while reacting to the controversy around his interest in the much-coveted seat, Emefiele reportedly said he would leave his fate firmly in the hands of God.
However, Section 9 of the CBN Act, 2007 stated clearly that the apex bank governor must not venture into any other vocation while in office and must resign in writing to the President if he nursed such intention.
It read, “The Governor and the Deputy Governors shall devote the whole of their time to the service of the bank and while holding office shall not engage in any full or part-time employment or vocation whether remunerated or not except such personal or charitable causes as may be determined by the Board and which do not conflict with or detract from their full-time duties…”
2023: Nigeria’s vault no longer safe, sack Emefiele now, lawyer tells Buhari
A human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, has called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to urgently sack the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
The lawyer made the call in response to a report that the All Progressives Congress Expression of Interest and Nomination forms have been purchased for Emefiele to contest the 2023 presidential election by his supporters.
A coalition comprising Rice Farmers Association, Emefiele Support Group and Friends of Godwin on Friday reportedly obtained the forms for him.
The CBN governor had denied having an interest in the presidency but has yet to speak on the collection of forms.
Ogun expressed fear that the treasury of Nigeria is no longer safe in the hands of Emefiele.
He said, “CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has picked the APC N100m presidential nomination and expression of interest form. Clearly, this is illegal, morally reprehensible and weakens whatever is left of our institutions.
“Section 9 of the CBN Act, 2007 provides that ‘the governor and the deputy governors shall devote the whole of their time to the service of the bank, and while holding office, shall not engage in any full or part-time employment or vocation, whether remunerated or not’.
“Politics is a vocation and the CBN Governor is not allowed by law to engage in partisan politics. It is unthinkable that Emefiele, despite his embarrassing failures, will disregard law and morality to vie for President under the ruling APC. Our national vault is no longer safe.
“Mr. Godwin Emefelie must immediately resign his position as CBN Governor to save our country from this unthinkable absurdity. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) must immediately commence thorough investigation into Emefiele’s period in office.
“Finally, I call on President Muhammadu Buhari to invoke his statutory powers under Section 11(2) of the CBN Act to sack Emefiele. The National Assembly and civil society organizations are equally enjoined to intervene in this peculiar institutional desecration. All is not well.”
…Emefiele handed CBN control to Buhari seven years ago, Ezekwesili alleges
Nigeria’s former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has alleged that the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, handed over the apex bank’s control to the President, Muhammadu Buhari since the latter assumed office.
She also alleged that the “ill-advised monetary policies” of the bank in the last seven years were “political”.
Ezekwesili’s allegations followed the reports that Emefiele picked the All Progressives Congress N100m presidential nomination and expression of interest form. He reportedly picked up the form on Friday in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The former minister in a series of tweets on her Twitter handle on Friday said the wrong monetary policies since Buhari assumed office in 2015 were testament that the bank had handed over its independence to the President.
She alleged that the hidden politics behind the wrong monetary policies and alleged control of the CBN by Buhari led to Emefiele’s open partisan politics.
She wrote, “If you did not know all along that Nigeria’s serial wrong and ill-advised Monetary Policies of the last 7 years were political because the @cenbank long handed its independence to the Villa @NGRPresident @MBuhari , at least now you know. They’ve outed themselves. Finally.”
Ezekwesili, however, asked the CBN governor to resign from his position and pursue his “ill-fated political career”.
In the last two-months it has been gale of aspirations by political gladiators from APC and People’s Democratic Party.
At the moment the APC already has over 21 presidential aspirants who have picked forms while PDP has 15 aspirants. No doubt the Nigeria Political environment is saturated with signposts of interests eyeing the Nation’s number seat come 2023.
