Fakoyejo OlalekanThe Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has warned that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele is trying to evade accountability by requesting study leave to travel abroad.
Matawalle said Emefiele is trying to avoid being probed for his time as CBN governor, hence, his reason for seeking a break to leave the country eight months before his tenure ends as the chief of the financial regulator and at a period a new government is coming in.
He advised President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, 15 May, not to approve the study leave requested by Emefiele, stating that the CBN governor has to give an account of his time as the head of Nigeria’s financial and monetary system.
“I want, here and now, to urge President Buhari to not approve any study leave or whatever kind of leave for any officer critical to the take-off of the incoming administration of Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“If the leave has been approved, as reported in the media, the President should cancel it in the interest of peaceful transfer of power, accountability, and good governance.
“CBN Governor Emefiele superintended over the management of the country’s financial and monetary systems. 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.”
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