Chairperson of the Kaduna chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Joseph Hayab has said that desperate politicians were trying to intimidate the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Hayab said this while reacting to the reported attempt to arrest and detain Emefiele by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The Herald gathered that a Federal High Court in Abuja on December 19 rejected a motion ex parte filed by the DSS to arrest the apex bank governor over alleged involvement in terrorism financing and economic crimes.
The Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, said that the secret police did not provide any concrete evidence to substantiate its claims.
The court also noted the grave implications for the Nigerian economy if the CBN governor were arrested and detained.
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Reacting, Hayab said Emefiele’s travails were not unconnected with a monetary policy introduced by the CBN to revamp the nation’s currency.
The CAN chairman said, “What are those against CBN new money policy hiding?”
“We are concerned that what should be a monetary policy has become a tool for some politicians to pick a fight with the Governor of the Central Bank and his board. Why would a spokesman of a political party be releasing a statement encouraging the DSS to go after the CBN Governor?
“That shows that this is a case of the voice of Jacob and the hand of Esau. Surely, every right-thinking Nigerian knows that politicians had stockpiled huge sums of cash in order to manipulate the 2023 elections.
“Indeed, we saw the image on a blackboard behind the son of a prominent politician where the words ‘monetary inducement’ was boldly written. Therefore, we are of the considered view that the attempt to intimidate the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria into abandoning the program of redesigning the naira and the new ATM limits is at the behest of politicians whose election strategy is based on money inducement.
“We remind all and sundry that the international community is watching this unfolding artificial crisis and is not fooled by the positioning of those who want to frustrate this patriotic policy. No one should take the silence and patience of Nigerians for granted. Nigerians have suffered enough.”