By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Uncertainty has enveloped the failure of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mr. Godwin Emefiele to return to office nearly a month after embarking on overseas trip where he is reportedly seeking asylum in the UK.
Sources said CBN governor had departed Abuja between December 9 and 10 following a presidential approval to proceed on a medical vacation until January 9.
The apex bank chief however was not sighted anywhere around his office as at 12noon on Monday, a source told our correspondent.
Before his departure, Emefiele had raised concern about his personal safety and threat to his position and hinted that he will seek asylum in the United Kingdom.
Nigeria’s secret police had attempted to arrest the CBN governor on allegations bordering on terrorism financing, a charge he dismissed as untrue.
However, Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High in a December 13, 2022, ruling declined to authorise an arrest warrant sought by the Department of State Services, DSS to take Mr Emefiele into custody.
Mr Tsoho said the secret police had failed to establish its claims against Mr Emefiele, while also obscuring his identity in order to deceive the court into granting an erroneous motion.
The concerns surrounding his Emefiele’s return to office is not unconnected with the uncertainty that has enveloped the economy, especially the capital markets, the new naira notes and withdrawal limit put in place by the bank.
According to the source, the bank’s chief is still shuttling between the UK and United States. He is said to be weighing his options there over attempts to implicate him his terrorism financing charges.
He has been alleged to have facilitated loans to terror organisations, a charge he said is untrue.
Sources claim that Mr Emefiele would be willing to return to Nigeria if president Muhammadu Buhari could use his good office to protect him from the DSS.
The President has however kept mum ever since the DSS and Emefiele’s face-off started. It is not clear if it is a tacit endorsement for the DSS to take Emefiele into custody.
Mr Emefiele’s decision to redesign the naira and limit cash withdrawals, presumably intended to curb vote-buying at the 2023 elections had attracted mixed reactions. Politically exposed persons have alleged that it was targeted at thwarting their efforts to secure victory at the upcoming election.
Under the withdrawal limit, individual accounts can only withdraw the sum of N500,000 per week while corporate account holders can withdraw funds not in excess of N5m per week.
The Parliament had last month extended invitation to Emefiele to offer explanations on the new naira note and other economic policies, he instead sent the bank’s deputy in charge of Financial System Stability, Mrs. Aisha Ahmad to represent him.
