We see the invisible hands of Godwin Emefiele as he seeks to perfect the path for his kinsman Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, who like Emefiele, hails from Ika, Agbor axis, Delta State, to become vice president of Nigeria under the PDP. For some of us, it is the clear case of one kinsman granting a parting favour to another, especially since he lost in his own bid to grab the APC ticket.
Even before the most recent antics of the CBN governor and his cohorts, there have been concrete steps to ensure that since Asiwaju was most likely going to fly the party’s flag, then pre-planned hurdles must be heaped along his path. In addition to the inherent uncertainty associated with an election year, no one can rationally explain the acute fuel scarcity alongside the punitive currency unavailability, a combined unwholesome recipe for chaos.
The CBN governor has done enormous damage to the APC campaign, which is of course on the back of his inability to run and obtain the APC ticket. Emefiele remaining in office as CBN governor thereafter has seen him throw caution to the wind and drive home a policy through a damning approach causing citizens, the IMF, numerous CSOs, and state governors to declare on top of their voices in unison, that this policy is poorly implemented, poorly timed and has caused untold hardship countrywide.
In the aftermath of the celebrated Supreme Court ex parte ruling to allow an extension of the naira redesign deadline beyond February 10, a key issue of interest for citizens remains the availability of currency for transactions. The CBN in its emotional valour is unlikely to re-issue the notes deposited in banks, and banks also, having been found to make a killing from trading in monies, are unlikely to gladly embrace the order and begin re-issue of the naira, now referred to as old notes. It is highly unlikely that the redesigned notes will be made available; neither will the online infrastructure of banks be magically restored to optimal service.
We, politicians, read schemes from very far distances; we can detect schemes and plots from their foundational stages. As we go into the upcoming election, Nigerians are angered by a sudden policy instituted by an APC government, stubbornly defended by a section of the government even on the backdrop of an ex parte injunction, know for sure that this is all in serving of self and in seeking of self-interest. As we speak, Nigerian university lecturers, who are billed to serve as INEC returning officers, from ward to state, are still being owed arrears of disputed salaries, sadly and unfortunately. Also, the presiding officers and a high percentage of INEC ad-hoc staff are university undergraduates who are still angered by the lengthy ASUU strike of the recent past, and to whom tuition fee hike hits home a current reality.
As these issues gather the storm and rile the base across the country, we remain cautious as they strike deep sensitivities and become potentially flammable. We look over our shoulders and shudder at people hoping to benefit from what the dark clouds will pour. The custody of sensitive election materials in the CBN must no longer hold since Emefiele has demonstrated electoral interest and preference as he tries to install his kinsman as vice president under the PDP since he has woefully lost in his own half-heartedly pursued a bid while trying to eat his cake and still has it.
The same Emefiele that assured President Buhari, citizens of Nigeria and banks across Nigeria that there would be a sufficient supply of new naira notes, which was discovered to be a ruse, is now promising INEC that cash would be made available to them for elections, logistics and ground operations. This must be the last piece of the election-thwarting puzzle. INEC may likely be starved of cash and will be unable to execute the upcoming polls.
The Council of State in its wisdom did not shy away from the clear and obvious truth in advising the president to rid Nigeria of the artificial scarcity of naira and tasked the CBN to ensure availability to reduce countrywide hardship, as they understand it is chiefly not about the much talked about deadline, but about available naira.
A classic mastermind and architect of large-scale economic, political and reputational loss for the country superintends over our economy. He has led a project that has pushed our dance to a dangerous precipice that threatens our gains of the past 24 years and therefore must be relieved of his duties immediately. We are consistent in our call for Godwin Emefiele to vacate office immediately as he has become too emotionally invested in the upcoming elections.
Hon. Yusuf Babangida Sulaiman, Member, Kano State House of Assembly (2011-Date), Gwale Constituency
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