Labour Party and the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, has attacked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the suspension of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Dr. Godwin Emefiele, describing it as unconstitutional and an act of vendetta.
In a separate statement issued on Saturday, June 10, 2023, they noted that given the experience of the last two governors of the CBN, it was obvious that the apex bank no longer enjoys its constitutional independence.
Mazi Chima Uzor, Ohanaeze’s director of National Interest Matters in the statement said that Emefiele’s suspension did not follow due process, adding that the decision was part of the current administration’s efforts to alienate the Igbo from public office.
Part of the statement read: “The Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo Worldwide hereby condemns in its entirety the suspension of Dr Godwin Emefiele, the CBN governor by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“To say the least, this suspension is without due process and the arrest despite court order against DSS from arresting him is provocative and well-meaning Nigerians must resist it and ensure that it does not stand.
“We view the development as clearly part of the new administration’s scheme of ethnic cleansing of the Igbos from public offices.
“This is nothing but a witch hunting directed at the Igbos for no other reason other than they dared to oppose the new administration in the last general elections.
“We are therefore asking President Bola Tinubu to beware of starting his administration with actions capable of driving an already shaking nation into chaos.
“He should be humble enough to rescind this unpopular decision and allow Dr Emefiele to complete his term as the governor of the apex bank instead of rocking the boat and destroying all the reforms that were carried out by the CBN under Emefiele’s leadership.”
Similarly, the Labour Party (LP) described the suspended governor of the Central Bank (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, as a fall guy who is paying for his sin even as it accused President Bola Tinubu of vendetta.
The party, in a statement on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, noted that the suspension and subsequent arrest of the CBN Boss may not be unconnected to “the Naira redesign policy initiated by Emefiele, primarily to check vote buying in the last general election.”
According to the opposition party, the policy was a noble one, which “a particular candidate then unfortunately believed was targeted at him”
It also alleged that the Apex bank’s move was considered as “a mortal sin which cannot be forgiven and must be punished.”
While frowning at Emefiele’s suspension and his subsequent arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS), the LP’s acting National Publicity Secretary described the action as unconstitutional, and without the permission of the National Assembly.
It also insisted that the action was not in good taste and sounded punitive, as it feared that going forward Nigerians may face a regime “where perceived enemies are dealt with, perceived opposition parties and their members are dealt with, even when they are protected by the law.”
Citing remarks by the federal government that the suspension is “sequel to the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy,” LP warned that Nigerians will not tolerate political and peripheral investigation.
This is even as it suggested a forensic auditing by an independent firm to unravel the “real culprits, not just Emefiele”.
It added: “Finally, we urge the APC led government to carry out a thorough investigation of the CBN and, particularly, the last APC government’s interference in the operation of the apex bank.”
The frontrunner political party recalled remarks in 2014 by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, in the place of former president Goodluck Jonathan to sack ex-CBN governor, Lamido Sanusi.
In that intervention, Gbajabiamila had said: “Mr. President has the right to ask the CBN governor to resign, the same way, Nigerians have the right to ask him or anyone to resign.
“However, he does not have the powers to do so. Having a right is one thing, having the power is another.
“Many have asked Mr President to resign but lack the powers to compel him to do so.”
Continuing, the LP said: “The leadership of the Labour Party is disturbed by the decision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend/sack the Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, albeit unconstitutionally without seeking the permission of the National Assembly and we insist that the action was not in good taste and sounds punitive.
“Drawing inspiration from what Femi Gbajabiamila, then Minority Leader, had said years ago (as quoted above) over a similar situation when President Goodluck Jonathan sacked former CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, wherein he questioned the powers of the President in sacking the CBN Governor.
“The opposition leader made it clear that the President lacks powers under the laws of the land to sack the CBN boss. One wonders what has changed between that time and now.”
