Group petitions Buhari, seeks probe of CBN operations, Emefiele’s resignation

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

A group, Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reforms (COTER), an umbrella body of 259 anti-corruption civil society has called on the Federal Government to immediately order the conduct of comprehensive investigations into the entire operations of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under Mr Godwin Emefiele.

The group, made the demand in a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, copies of which were made available to journalists in Abuja.

In the petition signed on its behalf by Dr Peter Chima Chukwu and Mallam Auta Ibrahim Koko, President and General Secretary respectively, COTER requested President Buhari to direct the CBN Governor to immediately step aside from office and submit himself to investigations with a view clearing himself over allegations against him.

In the petition, which was similarly copied to the Senate President, Dr Ahmed Lawan, the group said, “Your Excellency (President Buhari) should immediately direct the CBN governor to immediately step aside from office as the apex bank’s boss for proper investigation of the CBN.

“Emefiele should be ordered to make himself available for investigations to clear his name.

“Mr. President, this is imperative if you want to maintain your hard-earned reputation, sir.

“Mr. President, directing Emefiele to so do has become imperative because Nigerians, who believe in the anti-corruption stance of your administration, are keenly watching and wondering whether the indicted CBN governor will be accorded the sacred cow privilege and allowed to go scot-free under the watch of Your Excellency.

“Infact, the CBN governor should be ordered and compelled to immediately submit his office and person for necessary probe”, it said

The various security reports on the CBN Governor, COTER maintained, should be made public and published for all to see.

The group further requested that travel ban be placed on Emefiele along with his other accomplices, to avoid escape from the country in this month of March.

“Mr President, sir, the Coalition is also calling for the setting up of a special consolidated account by the government for the safekeeping of funds recovered from Emefiele and others”, it added.

Continuing, it said, “COTER will further advise Your Excellency that the Federal Government should offset all debts owed and loans from the huge funds to be recovered from Emefiele and his cohorts before your administration leaves office so that the incoming administration will start on a clean slate. “We don’t want the incoming administration to inherit debts. “Nigerians will no longer tolerate complaints about Government’s inability to perform due to huge debt owed by a previous administration”, it stressed.

The noted with regrets that the security agencies have been constrained to take the appropriate steps to investigate Emefiele because of his claim to having secured a Presidential Order directing CBN officials not to honour any invitation by the DSS because of an existing court injunction barring the security agency in particular from questioning him.

This claim by Emefiele COTER said, has forced the security agency to stop the investigation of the apex bank boss.

It added, “Your Excellency, this anomaly must be corrected now to avoid a situation where the incoming administration will heap the blame for the heist perpetrated by Emefiele and for allowing him to go scot-free on you and your government.

“Mr President, the credibility of your person and administration will be called to question by the time the incoming administration has access to the documents detailing the heinous financial atrocities currently being perpetrated at the CBN by Emefiele and his cohorts”.

Describing itself as a law-abiding and patriotic organisation whose major and ultimate objectives are probity, accountability and transparency in government for quality socio-economic development and reforms. COTER said, “Our numerous anti-corruption activities and actions are aimed at assisting government and the Nigerian people to effectively tackle corruption and corrupt tendencies in high places and achieve probity and transparency for the ultimate benefits of all Nigeria citizens.

“COTER consistently strives to ensure accountability, probity and transparency in governance at all levels in Nigeria and these we have been able to achieve through various anti-corruption rallies, press conferences, awareness and sensitisation programmes, enlightenment and engagement of government officials at all levels as well as the Nigerian people, which we organize on a regular basis.

“Mr President, COTER wants to use this opportunity to commend you on the various legacy projects your administration commissioned in recent times in Katsina, Kano, Jigawa and across other parts of the country.

“The evidence of the enabling environment your administration created in the various states across the country and the right policies you put in place is glaring in the large number of projects in many of the 36 states since 2015.

“Your Excellency, there is no gainsaying the fact that you have done so many great things for Nigeria”, it stated.