Suspension of Emefiele Is Not Witch-Haunting – Says Sen Soji Akanbi
Suspension of Emefiele Is Not Witch-Haunting – Says Sen Soji Akanbi.
Frontline All Progressives Congress, APC Chieftain, Senator Adesoji Akanbi, has commended the suspension of Mr Godwin Emefiele, the erstwhile Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) Governor from office, by President Bola Tinubu, Opera News reported.
Mr Emefiele was directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate) who will now act as the Central Bank Governor, pending the conclusion of the investigation and the reforms in the bank.
According to Senator Adesoji Akanbi, it would be wrong for anyone to see such change of baton at the Central Bank as witch-haunting as some people are insinuating.
Akanbi pointed out that the popular sin committed by Emefiele in his heydeys as the helmsman of CBN, was the cash crunch that followed the CBN’s withdrawal of the old notes, after it created new notes last year. The development drew criticisms from top personalities around the country. Akanbi recalled that, some state governors, even took the matter to court with Tinubu as the then presidential candidate of APC, faulting the implementation of the policy.
The Senator recalled that President Bola Tinubu said then that he was “concerned about its disruptive implementation and the hardship it brought on the generality of our people who then couldn’t access their hard-earned money to meet obligations and the attendant consequences on the informal sector, where the majority operate.
“People should just be accountable. Nigeria needs an explanation of what happened with the naira policy. Many people lost their businesses because of that singular policy. People died because of it. What was the rush about?” Senator Akanbi asked.
Akanbi noted that President Bola Tinubu is already vindicated as relevant security agencies are already investigating Mr Emefiele on 10 counts which are; Funding Unknown gunmen, ESN and IPOB with money he raised for his failed presidential bid last year and funds diverted from government coffers; Mismanagement of Nigeria’s social investment program (NISRAL and the Anchor Borrowers Scheme); Illegall economic crimes of National security dimension; Money Laundering; Unwholesome activities through proxies; Round tripping; Conferment of financial benefits to self and others; Threat to National Security; Criminal conspiracy to divert government resources; Terrorism financing.
“Nigeria is all we have. We need to start doing the right things for this country,” Senator Adesoji Akanbi added.
