After sever several weeks of behind the scene maneuvering, Godwin Emefiele, the Delta state born governor of Central Bank of Nigerian, CBN, who was in President Muhammadu’s entourage to the North Amercan country of the United States, US, African Leaders’ Summit in Washington DC, the country’s Capital, between December 13 and 15, 2022 had delayed his return to Nigeria.
He may have delayed his return to the country to escape arrest and detention by Yusuf Magaji Bichi, led Department of State Security to arrest him over allegations of terrorism Financing and Corruption. An online Publication, not The Value News, had reported that the embattled CBN,governor has serious stakes in 12 banks , both within and outside the country. The Publicaton had named Tita, Globus, Providence and Union Bank. He was said to have big interest in First Bank Nigeria, plc, and other undisclosed Banks.
Emefiele , may have known that if he fails to resume work on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, he may lose his exalted position to either Hajia Aishah Ahmad, Board member and Deputy governor, Financial System Stabibility or Edward Admu, overseeing Corporate Services Directorate.
It was not surprising that when he got the signal that coast is clear to return to the country that he returned on Monday, January 16, 2023. An insider said that he had headed straight from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the federal Capital Territory, FCT, to his office amidst tight military protection to avoid harassment by DSS personnel who were said to have been stationed at strategic locations to know when he will sneak into the country and re-direct his movement to the service office to answer to the allegations of terrorism financing and corruption against.
Osita Nwanisobi, the apex Bank Director of Communications had said that the CBN , Chief Executive Officer, CEO, who had resumed work on Monday, January 16, 2023, was greeted with a rousing welcome by the Management and Staff of the Bank. A source disclosed that he was very happy that the apex Bank Governors and Executive Board members were able to vacuum in his absence that no job was left on one.
Nwanisobi, the apex bank spokesperson, had said that Emefiele had resumed duty with renewed vigour ‘’to perform his duty ahead of the first Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, meeting of the year, scheduled for January 23 and 24, 2023’’.
The CBN, governor was said to have told those that cares to listen that he remains ‘’committed to performing the task before him in line with the oath of office and policy direction of the Nigerian President
Many believe that he may have intervened to forestall the secret service from arresting the CBN governor to avoid exposing Nigeria to ridicule by the International Community and the creditor nations including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, IMF and other Multilateral Financial Institutions whih may not want to listen to Buhari’s debt cancellation pea for developing countries including Nigeria. Recall that last September, the Nigerian President who could not hide his feelings at the United Nations General Asemblt meeting in NewYork, US, had called for debt cancellation for developing countries , in cluding his home country Nigeria, noting that the debt burden poses ‘’severe challenges to the affected nations’’. He may not have wanted to give room to the Multi-lateral financial Institutions to make mockery of Nigeria that he may have ordered Bichi a, the DSS, Director General and his men to match the break and allow Emefiele, the CBN, governor to return to his desk and continue his job without further harassment.
Until he abandoned his duty post last December to escape security agencies arrest, the secret service had approached an a Federal High Court in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory , FCT, seek orders to arrest and detain him. They got it wrong. The trial Judge, Justice Maryan Hassan had quashed the moves by the service. The Judge had barred the DSS under the Leadership of Bichi, from ‘’arresting, or detain Emefiele , declaring the terrorism financing allegations against him by the service as vindictive, callous, oppressive , void and of no effect.
Femi Falan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, had said that the DSS, did not need a Court order to arrest Emefifele, the CBN, governor, because he is not one of those constitutionally entitled to enjoy immunity.
Security analysts noted that the Scret service may have allowed him to resume work to avoid heating up the polity and to think that all is well but may still come for him at the appropriate time. This is an indications that trouble is not yet over for the CBN governor.
