Bello Matawalle, governor of Zamfara, has asked President
Muhammadu Buhari to cancel the study leave allegedly granted to Godwin
Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
There have been reports that Emefiele was recently granted a
study leave by Buhari.
Reacting in a statement on Monday, Matawalle said Buhari has
demonstrated that he is a patriot, democrat and a man of impeccable integrity
and character.
He said Byhari has also demonstrated good faith by showing
his readiness for a seamless transfer of power to the incoming administration.
However, the Zamfara governor said some officials in the
current administration have acted otherwise.
“President Buhari and his wife Aisha Buhari have shown good
faith and shown they want a seamless orderly and peaceful transfer of power to
the incoming administration,” Matawalle said.
“They are eager to ensure that the new regime takes off
smoothly and speedily and in a manner devoid of any encumbrance in the interest
of our country.
“This is the right
thing to do and I commend President Buhari and his wife for their statesmanly
conduct.
“However, other officers in the government have acted in a
different manner. They are behaving as if they want to put spanners in the work
for the incoming regime.
“President Buhari should not allow this. He should frown at
any attempt by any person seeking to damage the good job he has done.
“I want, here and now, to urge President Buhari to not
approve any study leave or whatever kind of leave for any officer critical to
the take-off of the incoming administration of Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“One of such persons
that has been speculated in the media to have sought a study leave is Central
Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele.
“If the leave has been approved, as reported in the media,
the President should cancel it in the interest of peaceful transfer of power,
accountability and good governance.”
Matawalle accused Emefiele of implementing “a disastrous
naira swap”, adding that the CBN governor must be made to account for all that
transpired under his watch to the incoming administration.
“CBN Governor Emefiele superintended over the management of
the country’s financial and monetary systems. He is the one who initiated and
implemented the recent disastrous naira swap policy, the naira confiscation
program, which put Nigerians through untold woes and trauma and set our economy
backwards,” he said.
“Two of my
brother-governors and I took the federal government to court over this
ill-advised policy and fought resolutely until we got a respite for our people
from Emefiele and company.
“This same Emefiele now wants to proceed on study leave when
he has some 10 months left of his tenure apparently in a bid to evade rendering
accounts. This is unacceptable.
“President Buhari
should not countenance this. Emefiele must stay at his job to give full
accounts of all that transpired under his watch to the incoming administration.
“He must answer all the questions the new regime may have
for him particularly when he still has some months left of his tenure.”
‘PLANS BY OFFICIALS TO LEAVE NIGERIA
DANGEROUS’
Matawalle also asked Buhari not to approve foreign postings
or grant any foreign travels for any officer at any level in the outgoing
government.
“I’m aware that some
officers in the outgoing government are moving to surreptitiously leave the
country at this critical time they are needed to answer to specific questions,
though I would not want mention their names here,” he added.
“President Buhari should not heed their inordinate and
unpatriotic plan. These plans are dangerous and devilish. They show clearly
that these officers have something to hide.
“This must be halted immediately. Any plan to evade
rendering accounts is neither in the interest of accountability, transparency
and anti-corruption.”
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