Godwin Emefiele, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has refuted reports regarding the redesign of the Naira, claiming that former President Muhammadu Buhari gave his approval. Emefiele expressed confusion and questioned the intentions of Mr. Jim Obazee, the private investigator looking into CBN matters, charging him of deceiving Nigerians. Emefiele claimed he couldn’t understand Obazee’s motivation. CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
As reported by Vanguard newspaper, Emefiele responded to the report by Obazee, refuting the allegation that there was no presidential approval for the Naira redesign program. In a statement titled “Re; Emefiele, others stole billions, illegally kept Nigeria’s funds in foreign banks,” he contended that the presidential approval was handed to Obazee in the presence of senior CBN officials and the investigator’s team.
Emefiele stated, “First, it was reported that, contrary to the provision of the CBN Act 2007, there was no presidential approval for the Naira redesign. I wish to state unequivocally that there was indeed a presidential approval, and the said approval was handed over to the same Jim Obazee during the process of his investigation in the presence of senior CBN officials and his own investigative team.
“Moreover, the former President Muhammadu Buhari has stated on a number of occasions that he authorised and approved the Naira redesign. I am therefore at a loss as to why Mr. Jim Obazee will mislead Nigerians that there was no presidential approval.”
Emefiele dismissed the report’s content as false, misleading, and aimed at tarnishing his reputation for Obazee’s personal gain. Despite legal constraints, he addressed specific issues raised in the publication, challenging the accuracy of the investigator’s claims.
Denying the alleged withdrawal of $6.23 million based on a false presidential directive, Emefiele challenged Obazee to publish the documents and statements made during questioning. He distanced himself from the 593 accounts opened globally, emphasizing that he was not involved, and asserted that the relevant CBN departments have lawful authority for such activities.
Emefiele, aligning with calls for a thorough investigation, said his lawyers have been instructed to commence legal proceedings to clear his name from the defamatory statements in the report and subsequent publications. CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
