Emefiele Trying to Frustrate Tinubu’s Govt- Matawalle

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state has accused the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele of trying to frustrate the incoming government of President elect Bola Tinubu.

The governor made the allegation in the light of reports that Emefiele sought and got President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval for a study leave abroad.

According to the report, the CBN governor got the approval to study in Harvard before the end of Buhari’s tenure on May 29.

But in a statement on Monday, Governor Matawalle said the CBN governor is among top government officials required to help the incoming government take off, noting that Emefiele cannot afford to embark on study leave at this critical time.

Apart from this, the governor said Emefiele has questions to answer regarding the naira swap policy that threw the country into serious cash crisis early this year.

The governor also spoke amidst suggestions that the Department of State Services, DSS, is planning to arrest Emefiele after the end of Buhari’s government.

Recall that a federal high court in Abuja, last year, stopped the DSS from arresting the CBN governor for alleged terrorism financing and other crimes.

 Considering these allegations Governor Matawalle said the CBN governor must stay in the country  to give an account of his tenure in the government bank.

Matawalle said: “He is the one who initiated and implemented the recent disastrous Naira swap policy, the Naira confiscation program, which put Nigerians through untold woes and trauma and set our economy backward.

“Two of my brother-governors and I took the Federal Government to court over this ill-advised policy and fought resolutely until we got a respite for our people from Emefiele and company.

“This same Emefiele now wants to proceed on study leave when he has some 10 months left of his tenure apparently in a bid to evade rendering accounts. This is unacceptable. President Buhari should not countenance this.

“Emefiele must stay at his job to give full accounts of all that transpired under his watch to the incoming administration. He must answer all the questions the new regime may have for him particularly when he still has some months left of his tenure.”