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An anti-graft advocacy organisation, George Uboh Whistleblowers Network (GUWN) has filed a law suit seeking the Senate to stop the confirmation of Godwin Emefiele as Central Bank governor following his refusal to account for an alleged missing $2.5billion under his watch in his previous tenure as chief banker of Nigeria.
The whistleblower filed the suit at a Federal High Court in Abuja
asking it to mandate the Senate to declare Emefiele unfit to hold any public office in the country.
The case titled suit no FHC/ ABJ/CS/505/2019 and filed on Friday May 10, 2019, has George Uboh Whistleblowers Network (GUWN) as plaintiff and Godwin Emefiele, Senate, Senate President and President Muhammadu Buhari as defendants. In the originating Summons of this suit, GUWN is asking the court to restrain the Senate from confirming Godwin Emefiele as CBN Governor (2nd tenure) until the court resolves GUWN V. Emefiele, case no.
Another summons titled FHC/ABJ/CS/419/2019, GUWN alleges that $2.5 Billion USD disappeared under Emefiele’s watch, asking that Emefiele refund the $2.5 Billion USD, that Emefiele should be declared not fit to hold public office, inter alia.
President Muhammadu Buhari had last week forwarded the Emefiele’s name to the Senate for reappointment as CBN governor. This was in spite of allegations that $2.5billion was missing under his watch, an accusation Emefiele has refused to explain.
But GWIN in its originating summons sought a declaration by the court that “the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria cannot validly exercise its confirmational powers in regard to the reappointment of the 1st defendant by the 4th defendant as the Governor of the Central Bank when the issues agitated before this court in Suit No:FHC/ABJ/CS/419/2019 regarding the stewardship of the 1st defendant are yet to be disposed of by this honorable court.
“An order of this Honorable Court barring the 2nd and 3rd defendants from taking a step to screen and or confirm the appointment of the 1st defendant as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria pending the final determination and disposal of the issues agitated before this Honourable Court in Suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/419/2019 regarding the stewardship of the 1st defendant.”
In its written address to support the originating summons, GWIN sought an order of the court mandating Emefiele to “remit forthwith the aggregate sum of Two Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty Four Million United States Dollars ($2,564,000,000) into the Treasury Single Account of the Federation and file affidavit (evidencing receipt of the said remittance) of compliance at the Registry of the Honorable Court within fourteen (14) days of the delivery of final judgement in this suit inclusive of the date of the judgment delivery.”
It further sought an “Order of this Honourable Court perpetually barring the defendant from seeking and or occupying any public office throughout the federal Republic of Nigeria.”