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An anti corruption group, Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reforms (COTER) has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele to step aside from office and clear self of the allegations of terrorism funding and corruption.
The group through a memo signed by Dr Peter Chima Chukwu and Mallam Auta Ibrahim Koko, President and General Secretary, respectively which was also copied to the Senate President said that the allegations against the CBN boss were too weighty to be swept under the carpet.
According to the document which Pointblanknews.com received a copy,
the group said the allegations which are still under investigation by the Department of State Security have the capacity of ridiculing the anti-corruption efforts of President Buhari’s government.
Their demands according to the statement include that “Emefiele should be ordered to make himself available for investigations to clear his name. It is imperative Emefiele proves his innocence before the investigative bodies. 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.”
They also want the various security reports on the CBN Governor to be made public and published for all to see.
“COTER also calls on the Federal Government to immediately order the conduct of comprehensive investigations of the entire CBN operations under Emefiele.
“Your Excellency, Ways and Means request figures presented by Emefiele and the Minister of Finance to the National Assembly for approval over the years should be immediately further investigated.”
Recall that the CBN Governor was alleged to have been involved in terrorism financing by the DSS and efforts by the security agency to apprehend him was unsuccessful.
“Your Excellency, the various security agencies should, therefore, be given the clearance and authorisation to perform their constitutional duty of investigating, arresting and questioning all those suspected of committing financial and economic crimes against the Nigerian state, no matter how highly placed they may be.
“Your Excellency, the purported Presidential Order directing CBN officials not to honour any invitation by the DSS because of an existing court injunction should be immediately withdrawn. This is conferring undue immunity on Emefiele and other CBN officials against being investigated, questioned and prosecuted by the appropriate security agencies”, the group said.