The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has alleged that his petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele, might have prompted his latest tactical withdrawal.
HEDA in a statement issued Sunday pointed out that it had petitioned Emefiele owing to the widespread rumour that Emefiele is nursing ambition to join the presidential race under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The statement quoted HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, alleging that its petition among others must have prompted Emefiele to come up with its latest statement on his tweeter handle which reads: “This is a serious decision that requires God’s Divine intervention, in the next few days The Almighty will so direct”.
The organization in a statement recalled that many presidential aspirants who have picked nomination forms for the 2023 general elections were either implored or pressurized to run by some emergency interest groups, noting that one of such Presidential hopefuls is the CBN Governor, identifying trumpeter as the Green Alliance Movement.
HEDA observed that many believed that the Green Alliance was constituting nuisance and distracting the CBN boss from doing his job, even though he has performed below average since he assumed that lofty position.
It quoted that Section 9 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act barred the CBN governor and his deputies from engaging in Politics and other businesses, unless such person resigns, but contrary to public expectations, the governor of the apex bank refused to resign and pursue politics neither did he disassociate himself from those heralding his coming, even after series of petitions compelling him to do the honourable thing.
The statement quoted part of the section: “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.”
As event unfolds, HEDA petitioned the ICPC to take swift action to prevent the breach of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act by the Governor, by promptly and diligently investigating the motive and sponsors of The Green Alliance Movement and if any foul play was uncovered, such culprits should be prosecuted accordingly.
In a response signed by the Petition Registrar, H.S Folaranmi, on behalf of the chairman of the Commission- Bolaji Owasanoye, to HEDA, ICPC acknowledged HEDA’s Petition and averred to act accordingly.
Meanwhile, HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, has confirmed that its petition among others must have prompted Emefiele to come up with its latest statement on his tweeter handle which reads: “This is a serious decision that requires God’s Divine intervention, in the next few days The Almighty will so direct,”
HEDA’s boss maintained that Emefiele had been involved in politics and a member of APC contrary to the law. “By telling Nigerians that within the week, he would let Nigerians know his stand (to run or not) after hearing from God, It then means he’s been involved in politics and member of APC, contrary to the law,” Suraju asserted.
He reminded Emefiele that failure to publicly state his position on the 2023 general election would not only be precarious to Nigeria’s current fragile economy but inimical to the country’s financial integrity, saying that the current state of the economy requires all actors to stay focused on the task of repositioning Nigeria on a trajectory of prosperity.
“Going by our mandate as a leading Anti-corruption organization in Nigeria, we expect every political aspirants to play by the rules, but they must remember that good governance remains the hallmark of democracy,” he added.
