These are not the best of times for Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
Embattled on all fronts – the unprecedented fall of the Naira against the Dollar, his fight with Abokifx, his inelegant press conference/ outburst where he invited those who want to fight him to come to his office and fight him as he was ready for a fight – the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has now added its voice to the gradual calls for his resignation over the state of the Naira and CBN under him.
Incidentally, Emefiele was an appointee of the PDP Government under President Goodluck Jonathan. He was inherited by the President Muhammadu Buhari Government which not only, surprisingly kept him, but reappointed him for a second unprecedented term in office.
The PDP is hinging its call for Emefiele’s resignation on an interview granted to Channels TV on September 15, 2021 by Dr John Akpanudoedehe, the National Secretary of the APC National Caretaker Committee.
During the interview, Akpanudoedehe had accused Emefiele of supervising the pillaging of the CBN. The PDP sees this allegation by Akpanudoedehe against Emefiele as coming from the horse’s mouth.
In a statement released on Thursday, September 23, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, the party is also asking for Emefiele’s investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Following is the full text of the statement.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demands the immediate resignation and prosecution of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele, going by allegations by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he superintended over massive looting of funds in the CBN.
“Our party calls on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately invite Emefiele for questioning over allegations by the National Secretary of the illegal APC National Caretaker Committee, Senator John Akpan Udoedehe, that the CBN governor supervised over the pillaging of the nation’s vaults under his watch.
“Nigerians were shocked when Senator Akpan Udoedehe, on Channels TV programme “Politics Today” of Wednesday, September 15, 2021, revealed that the CBN governor supervised over the stealing of money in the apex bank, a development for which he must be investigated by the EFCC and if found wanting, prosecuted.
“We have waited for a week for Senator Akpan Udoedehe to recant on his statement or for Emefiele to repudiate the APC National Secretary.
“Our party insists that beyond Akpan Udoedehe’s allegation, the tenure of Emefiele as CBN governor under the APC administration has witnessed colossal failures of monetary and fiscal policies, requiring him to vacate the office and hand himself over for investigation.
“It is instructive to note that when Emefiele took office as CBN Governor in 2014 the naira exchanged for N164 to a dollar. Today, in the hands of Emefiele and the APC, the naira has tumbled to near N600 to a dollar, putting the nation’s economy on its knees.
“Painfully, under the leadership of Emefiele, the CBN has failed in its core mandate of managing the economy and took a dive into propaganda, with claims that do not reflect the harsh economic reality on the ground.
“The PDP therefore urges the EFCC not to allow this revelation to be swept under the carpet as it borders on serious economic sabotage which sanctions are clearly spelt out under our laws.”
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