By Suleiman Muhammed
The alleged presidential ambition of Mr Godwin Emefiele as reported in some select online and mainstream newspapers penultimate week didn’t come as a surprise to any sane mind given that political era such as it were, are times, traducers’ are usually dusting up their machineries of mischief.
Curiously, before the report of the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN) Governor could settle, there were reports that Mr Emefiele imported three private jets into the country for campaign without the report detailing those alleged jets’ serial numbers; manufacturing country; pictures and where there landed.
It’s better imagined than said, the extent to which some respectable media platforms allowed its precious pages for crass ignorance to be displayed without taking into cognisance intelligence quotients of their audiences. The alleged ‘presidential ambition’ of the apex bank chief exist in the imagination of the purveyors of those reports, at the instance of their paymasters. This is because the last time we checked, Mr Godwin Emefiele is not a member of any political party in Nigeria and it remains to be seen, if the CBN governor could become a president without being a member of a political party.
Unarguably, the intention of the reports, among others, were to raise attack on the person of CBN’s egghead and the institution and this is no wonder that some obscure non-governmental organisations who have been waiting to be heard have issued press statements calling for resignation of Mr Godwin Emefiele without patiently waiting for his ‘Egbetado or Eagle Square’ 2023 presidential declaration.
Mr Emefiele, a bona fide Nigerian has right to vote and be voted for as enshrined in the ‘grundnum and other extant laws’, hence it’s not an aberration for him to contest presidential election after all, but if the political paymasters are intimidated by his credentials and achievements, circumspect demands that they should wait for the CBN governor to throw his hat in the ring before they move to engage him in the manner they are doing now.
The fact that he has not declared intention, while ban on campaign has not yet been lifted call for a postmortem examination of action and reaction of traducers who have thrown integrity and decorum into the wind for a morsel of bread.
However, governing an apex bank of one of the most populous black nation in the world successfully was no mean task and any sane society should be rooting for the likes of Mr Godwin Emefiele for presidency.
Currently in the annals of CBN history, Emefiele is the most successful governor having positioned the entity in the last seven years and that alone made him qualified to preside over the country, even as his achievement speaks inter alia:
“The Committee of Governors, COG meets every week to endorse and give approvals to key policy issues aimed at revamping the Nigerian economy. This weekly meeting has been holding regularly even in the face of efforts to distract the Governor from sustaining the improvement t in the economy.
The board meets every quarter to also give the required approval to policy issues within their purview. The last board meeting held last week to approve and launch a new strategic vision for the CBN for 2021 to 2024. The new strategy document is centered around the innovative IPACT charter.
Upholding Integrity through Partnership with all stakeholders, leveraging on Accountability, Courage and Tenacity. IPACT. In fulfilling his responsibility, the board Nigerian Exchange NGX was recently inaugurated with the Deputy Governor, Financial System Surveillance Hajiya Aisha Ahmed as chair, to reposition the Nigerian Stock market for enhanced growth and development.
The Governor is also focused on providing a conducive atmosphere for the services of CBN to reach all parts of the country. This is demonstrated with opening of an internet-enabled CBN Branch in Lafia, Nasarawa state.
The state of the art Branches are also ready for commissioning in Ado-Ekiti, Yenogoa, Dutse, Birnin-Kebbi and Gusau. Damaturu and Jalingo branches are at advanced level of completion.
Recenrt data from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics stated, that Nigerian economy ie GDP grew by 3.4% in 2021, the strongest since 2014.
According to the report, “the non-oil sector grew by 4.73% in the 4th quarter compared to the same quarter last year. This growth is bolstered by 3.58% growth in the agricultural sector.” The role of the CBN promoted by Mr Gidwin Emefiele cannot be down played in these remarkable positive indices. The recent rice pyramid in Abuja and the upcoming maize pyramid in Kaduna are pointers to the positive impact of the role played by the CBN.
The governor remains focused in delivering on his mandate as enshrined in the CBN act. He should not be distracted from supporting the policies of the federal government, in its monetary policy role.
Upholding Integrity through Partnership with all stakeholders, leveraging on Accountability, Courage and Tenancity. IPACT. In fulfilling his responsibility, the board Nigerian Exchange NGX was recently inaugurated with the Deputy Governor, Financial System Surveillance Hajiya Aisha Ahmed as chair, to reposition the Nigerian Stock market for enhanced growth and development.
The Governor is also focused on providing a conducive atmosphere for the services of CBN to reach all parts of the country. This is demonstrated with opening of an internet-enabled CBN Branch in Lafia, Nasarawa state. The state of the art Branches are also ready for commissioning in Ado-Ekiti, Yenogoa, Dutse, Birnin-Kebbi and Gusau.
Damaturu and Jalingo branches are at advanced level of completion.
Recenrt data from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics stated, that Nigerian economy ie GDP grew by 3.4% in 2021, the strongest since 2014. According to the report, “the non-oil sector grew by 4.73% in the 4th quarter compared to the same quarter last year. This growth is bolstered by 3.58% growth in the agricultural sector.” The role of the CBN promoted by Mr Gidwin Emefiele cannot be down played in these remarkable positive indices. The recent rice pyramid in Abuja and the upcoming maize pyramid in Kaduna are pointers to the positive impact of the role played by the CBN.
The governor remains focused in delivering on his mandate as enshrined in the CBN act. He should not be distracted from supporting the policies of the federal government, in its monetary policy role.
“As a bona fide Nigerian, Dr. Godwin Emefiele has every right to aspire for the highest post in the land having met the conditions stipulated in Section 65,105 and 131 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which provides that a person shall be qualified for election in the various elective offices if he or she is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of 35years.
Suleiman Muhammed a public affairs analyst writes from Abuja