Group Warns against Distracting Emefiele

Shola Oyeyipo

A Kano-based political pressure group, Coalition for Excellence in Governance (CEG), has described those calling for the sack of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, as “detractors” who are behind the campaign of calumny against the apex bank boss.

The group said in a statement yesterday that Emefiele was doing a very good job for the country at the moment and should be allowed to sustain the tempo in the interest of the country.

The National Coordinator of the group, Usman Abu Seriki Nu’ma, said the body was compelled to intervene in the matter due to the activities of some persons, who he said were sponsoring the campaign of calumny against the CBN governor.

He said lies being orchestrated against the CBN boss by the unseen hands were capable of distracting Emefiele, who he said was committed to assisting President Muhammadu Buhari to see Nigeria through its current economic crisis.

“They said Emefiele hired a private jet to travel home for the burial of his dear mother. The allegation came out to be false. Despite the fact that he could afford it, the humble man, in line with the mood of the nation, went low profile to travel like a common man to his mother’s burial. How many other lies would these detractors cook up again to bring this good man down?” Seriki Nu’ma asked.

He said it was his good qualities that the President saw before retaining him in office, and called on well-meaning Nigerians to give the CBN Governor necessary support that would enable him continue with the good job he is doing for Nigeria.

The group gave kudos to President Buhari for allowing Emefiele to be part of his administration, stressing that: “Emefiele’s job is a tenured one that should not be cut short before its expiration.”
He pointed to the February 14, 2014, launch of a centralised biometric identification system – Bank Verification Number (BVN) as another Emefiele initiative that has helped the country in combating corruption in line with the aspiration of the government.