Agbor Stakeholders Forum (ASF), has again accused the federal government of mission to hunt and destroy former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele by any means possible, for his activities as governor of the apex bank under the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari.
By Emma Ogbuehi
A group of Agbor, Delta State indigenes, under the aegis of Agbor Stakeholders Forum (ASF), has again accused the federal government of mission to hunt and destroy former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele by any means possible, for his activities as governor of the apex bank under the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari.
Emefiele, who is also a former Managing Director of Zenith Bank International, hails from Agbor town, Delta State.
ASF had last month appealed to the President, Bola Tinubu to free Emefiele, who had been in detention up to that point for close to six months without bail, alleging “victimization of the former CBN Governor over Buhari’s naira redesign policy”
In a latest statement on Monday, January 16, 2024, signed by Kanene Kachikwu on behalf of the group, ASF expressed concern on what it termed “the relentless propaganda and media assault” unleashed on Emefiele by the federal government since he was granted bail a few weeks ago.
In the statement titled ‘We protest operation destroy Emefiele’, Agbor stakeholders recalled that the former CBN governor’s kinsmen had had cause to cry out last year after he was detained for over six months without bail, adding that though he was finally granted bail, they had cause to cry out once again in view of obvious attempts, in the last couple of weeks, to destroy his person and character in the media.
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“We are worried that since the beginning of this administration, one man has been subjected to the investigation of the Department of State Service (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and a Special Financial Investigator, Mr. Jim Obazee,” the ASF lamented, noting that although no charges against Emefiele have been able to stand in the face of the courts, he is still haunted and harassed by agents of the government for the simple reason that he discharged his responsibilities creditably and carried out legitimate orders of a sitting president as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
While arguing that the former CBN Governor had been unjustifiably harassed and his character impugned, ASF accused the Tinubu Administration of Emefiele-paranoia, lamenting that the erstwhile banker has been charged with over half a dozen offences all of which have failed in different courts.
According to ASF, the DSS first accused Emefiele of financing terrorism, adding however that after a thorough search of all his residences, all they got was a little gun, more like a toy gun.
“Then the EFCC took over and combed through all his financial records. They went to press that N7.1 trillion was missing. This was to later turn to N1.2 billion official vehicles procurement irregularity allegedly perpetrated by Emefiele and a female colleague. This too didn’t stand in the court of law.
“Most recently, the EFCC claimed it is probing forex transactions of the CBN spanning the last nine years (2014 – 2023)”, the group stated.
It gave instances of campaigns of calumny and propaganda against Emefiele including linking him with investigation of over 85 entities, involving companies and individuals by EFCC.
ASF alleged that most of the probes were orchestrated by the government largely to witch-hunt Emefiele. The group cited reasons to back up their persecution claim against the federal government.
While wondering why the EFCC probe is different from that of the Special Investigator, Obazee, the group challenged the capacity of the EFCC to probe nine years of daily forex transactions by the CBN, arguing that it was just an attempt to shop for some evidence against the ex-CBN governor.
ASF recalled that Obazee told the world in his leaked report that Emefiele had interests in three banks necessitating the takeover of the banks, noting however that when the banks’ managements were changed a few days ago, the CBN’s explanation was that the banks (Union, Keystone and Polaris banks) were axed for “regulatory noncompliance, corporate governance failures, disregard of the conditions under which their licences were granted and involvement in activities that pose a threat to financial stability, among others.
“In all of this, the CBN didn’t give specific details of what and what constituted, on the part of the affected banks, infringement and noncompliance.
“Our point, even our grouse, is, therefore, that these probes, investigations and the reports therefrom are all politically motivated attempts to destroy our brother for his alleged role in former President Buhari’s naira redesign policy.
“We make bold to say that all these investigations would eventually turn out in favour of Mr. Emefiele as they have shown him as a very decent man who can still stand after investigations by the DSS, EFCC and a Special Investigator, with no serious offence brought against him”, ASF maintained.
The group commended Emefiele for his demonstration of integrity in the conduct of his official duties as Governor of the CBN, pointing out that only a government official
“In the light of this, we, therefore, consider the pursuit of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, a successful and thoroughbred banker, a political vendetta and witch-hunt, an attempt to destroy him. We once again call on President Tinubu to call off this charade and let an innocent man be,” Agbor Stakeholders Forum surmised.