As businesses remain in limbo over harsh economic conditions, a group called Citizens Action for Good Governance, CAGG, Friday, asked President Muhammadu Buhari, to sack the Governor of Central Bank, CBN, Godwin Emefiele as the economy is allegedly in jeopardy.
This was contained in a statement signed and read by the National Coordinator, CAGG, Nazir Galandanchi, during a press briefing in Abuja, where the group said the Emefiele-leadership has failed the country as the economy now at the tip-off point.
According to Galadanchi, presidential ambition is a personal choice, but what they are not happy with is the unethical manner and way Emefiele handled his aspiration to be Nigeria’s president while he failed to resign as an appointee of President Buhari, and that brought a lot of disruption in the economic equation.
He said: “If as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Governor Emefiele, had formally resigned from his exalted office, nobody will question his intentions or otherwise, as it is his fundamental and constitutional right to seek to contest for any political position in the land.
“Erosion of Confidence in the Nation’s Banking Industry by Both Local & Foreign Investors: From whatever angle one considered the volitional action of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, his expression of interest to vie for the Presidency of Nigeria while a sitting public officer, has made people loose confidence in the nation’s banking industry under his leadership as the head of the apex bank.
“This is more so reinforced by the statements credited to the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) Professor Mahmud Yakubu, to the fact that the nation’s electoral umpire will no longer keep its sensitive and non-sensitive materials in the custody of the CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA, since Mr. Godwin Emefiele, is now partisan and an interested party. The need to protect our electoral integrity is most pertinent.”
He (Galadanchi) lamented that the lack of concentration by the CNB Governor further worsened the exchange rate of the Naira to the US Dollar, and this is part of the causes of the unabated inflation in the country.
“Unarguably encouraged by his political misadventure and clear partisanship, have distracted, and made the CBN Governor lose concentration over the wave of foreign exchange racketeering under his supervision and today, the NAIRA currently exchanges for no fewer than N605,000/$. The rate which Nigeria’s
This is particularly so, in view Mr. Godwin Emefiele’s lack-luster approach to his newfound political interests-aggregation, culminating in an open expression of interest for what can best be described as an abortive presidential bid.
“All these are happening while he is still in office and his action has affected the functionality of the nation’s economy and This PRESS STATEMENT, seeks to expressively make a clarion call on President Muhammadu Buhari, to immediately remove him from office’
“The removal of the current Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, from office, will help restore public confidence as well as those of foreign investors.”
According to him, “Essentially, our interest is to address very emerging but compulsively compelling issues of urgent national importance, which either directly or indirectly, affect, influence and by extension, define the international public imaging of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“He threw Nigerians into confusion with his ambition to contest as president without making the proper arrangement to leave office and kept business men and Nigerians on suspense which led to negative impact on the economy within the period of his rumored moves to purchase the N100 million presidential form.
Speaking on the sudden move by Emefiele to join the APC presidential race, the group said, “In what initially sounded like a fairy-tale or rumor mill, Nigerians, were surprised about media reports, which made the rounds, regarding the sudden expression of partisan political interests by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, to contest the February 26th, 2023 Presidential & General Elections.
“As days went by, what came up as mere rumor, now began to acquire the solid posture of a cogent and verifiable political reality, even as the said Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, had gone far in the procurement of motor vehicles, branded by his foot-soldiers and campaign brand managers, and distributed same to specific beneficiaries.
The group also alleged that, Emefiele oiled his campaign machinery and finally confirmed his presidential ambition through the “purchase of the APC PRESIDENTIAL FORM at the cost of One Hundred Million Naira {N100,000,000.00} through his proxies.
“Rather in what looked like a weak display of rural sense of native intelligence, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, alleged that a group Nigerian FARMERS, purchased the APC Presidential Form for him.”