Emefiele: Groups Call for DG DSS Bichi’s Sack

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja 

Various groups under the auspices of Supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari; Lawyers in Defence of Human Rights, and the South South Youth Leaders, have unanimously demanded the immediate sack of the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi.

The groups also described the allegation that N89 trillion domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had been mismanaged by the Governor of the apex bank, Godwin Emefiele, as mere fabrication. 

They insisted that the DG DSS must be sacked, arrested and prosecuted over his alleged failed plot to undermine President Buhari with the plans to frame Emefiele for terrorism and financial crimes.

The groups, in a press conference Thursday in Abuja, spoke through their leaders, Messrs John O. Israel and Tochukwu Ohazuruike. 

They alerted the public of an alleged grand plan to hire civil society groups who would be mounting pressure on President Buhari to sack the CBN governor.

They therefore expressed great concern about the safety of Emefiele and asked the president to call the DSS authorities to order. 

Their joint resolutions read in part: “Despite being defeated by last week’s court ruling, they want to yet again come up with plan to fabricate another allegation to help them arrest the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

“They want to force him to resign to pave the way for the appointment of an Acting CBN governor despite numerous judgments from courts of competent jurisdiction. 

“The DSS are (allegedly) backed by unscrupulous politicians bent on rigging the election. 

“We once again call on the culprits to desist from their evil plot and support President’s Buhari’s credible elections and handover agenda. We won’t tolerate any plot to undermine Buhari’s peaceful transition plan. 

“The allegations that N89 trillion stamp duty had been mismanaged by the CBN governor were shocking and baseless since the assets of the entire banking industry were less than the amount being taunted.

“The money launderers, vote buyers, election riggers and corrupt politicians are the sponsors of the plot to remove the CBN governor. 

“Some governors, who looted the bailout funds to their states from whom the CBN recovered huge amounts including a governor from whom the CBN recovered N20 billion, are part of those asking for Emefiele’s head.

“A $2 million basket has been mobilized to organize media smear campaigns, protests. 

“An aggrieved faction of the National Youth Council of Nigeria and some others had been purportedly mobilised to carry out these protests beginning from the 9th of January this year. 

“How could it be possible that N50 charge on electronic transactions be more than the entire financial transactions in our country? 

“How can they say we have N89 trillion from stamp duty of N50 charge while the entire nation’s foreign reserve is not near that amount? 

“How is it possible that we can have N89 trillion while the entire assets of our nation’s banks, bank profit and all deposit in the banks is not up to that amount? 

“How can we have N89 trillion from just N50 charges when the nation’s total budget since 2016 that President Buhari first presented a budget till date is just about N95 Trillion?

“It means that this amount could have funded all the budget of the country since this administration assumed office. Just how could that be?”

The group therefore urged the DSS to apologise to Emefiele for the trauma they have put him through.

They also said the authorities of the secret police should apologise to the president “for opposing his policies and show support”.

” We hereby urge the president to authorise the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to institute a criminal inquiry into the latest happenings.

“We are also reiterating our call for the sacking of the DG of the DSS so as not to interfere with investigations,” the groups stated.