Emefiele’s ‘heart attack’ comment reckless, irresponsible, unpardonable, says PDP; insists he can’t continue as CBN Governor
By Emma Ogbuehi
For the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, the days ahead may indeed be rough going by the vow of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday.
The opposition party said Emefiele should be ready for investigation, prosecution and possible conviction for the atrocities allegedly superintended by him as the CBN Governor.
The PDP on Saturday also condemned as reckless, irresponsible and unpardonable the comment by Emefiele, that he was “having a lot of fun” in his actions which the party said were in violation of the CBN Act 2007 and the Public Service Rules.
A statement by the opposition party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, also insisted that despite Emefiele’s withdrawal from the presidential race, he is no longer fit to be CBN governor “having become partisan as a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
TheNiche had reported last week that barely 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari asked all political appointees that have ambitions to vie for any position in the 2023 general election to resign on or before Monday, May 16, 2022, Emefiele, on Thursday, met with the President at the State House, Abuja.
Fielding questions from journalists after the closed-door meeting with Buhari, the CBN Governor said he was not bothered by the concern of Nigerians over his presidential aspiration and that he was having fun while those concerned are free to have heart attack.
He said, “Let them have heart attack, it is good to have heart attack. I am having a lot of fun.”
But the PDP said the statement was unbecoming and reckless.
Ologunagba’s statement which was sent to TheNiche reads:
“This comment by Emefiele who also stated that Nigerians can go ahead and “have heart attack” over the widespread anxiety in the country arising from his involvement in partisan politics, is provocative and enough to trigger a nation-wide restiveness, pitch Nigerians against the CBN, shut down the economy and destabilize the polity.”
The PDP asserted that despite Emefiele’s alleged withdrawal from the presidential race due to the pressure by the party mounted, he still cannot continue as CBN Governor having become partisan as a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The CBN which keeps ALL sensitive materials for elections cannot be trusted with the custody of such materials with a biased Mr. Emefiele at the helm of affairs.
READ ALSO: Emefiele to Nigerians: People are free to have heart attack over my ambition
“It was despicable to watch Mr. Emefiele on Thursday May 12, 2022 at the Presidency, brazenly and derisively spit at the concerns of millions of Nigerians, the International Community and the Corporate World when he said of Nigerians, “let them have heart attack. It’s good to have heart attack. I am having a lot of fun.”
“Mr. Emefiele has crossed the red lines; he is provoking and daring Nigerians to do their worse especially in the face of huge allegations and revelations of massive looting, manipulations and doctoring of the books in the CBN under his watch as recently exposed in a leaked phone conversation and for which he ought to be behind bars.
“His unthinking and insensitive comment further establishes that he is not a fit and proper person to hold public office and continue the coordination of our national commonwealth as the CBN Governor, having exposed his lack of the required professionalism, code of conduct and regard for public concerns on issues that affect our economy and the electoral process.
“It also underpins the thoughtlessness and endemic corruption in the Buhari-led APC government and further shows the decadence in the CBN under Mr. Emefiele.
“The fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to decisively rebuke and sack Mr. Emefiele only confirms that impunity is an official policy of the APC administration.
“Emefiele should know that Nigerians will never have heart attack because of APC’s impunity. Instead, they are now, more than ever before, ready and resolute to confront the situation and rescue our nation from the stranglehold of the APC.
“Now that he has been confirmed to be a card-carrying member of the APC, Mr. Emefiele must forthwith steer clear of the CBN as he cannot continue as the Governor. Anything short of that amounts to testing the will of the people and the PDP will not hesitate to call out our members and teeming supporters across the country to, within the ambit of the law, defend and protect the integrity of the CBN and our electoral process.
“For Mr. Emefiele, he should be ready for investigation, prosecution and possible conviction for the atrocities allegedly superintended by him as the CBN Governor.”
