Report has attributed the suspension of Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to probe he is currently facing at the hands of the House of Representatives.
President Bola Tinubu on Friday suspended Emefiele.
This was made public by the Director of Information in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation OSGF (OSGF), Willie Bassey’s statement to the media.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended the Central Bank Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, CFR, from office with immediate effect,” Bassey said in the remark.
Emefiele’s suspension may not be unconnected to the probe instituted against him last week by the House of Representatives, according to The Nation.
The publication said House of Representatives’ inquisition into the activities of the apex bank under Emefiele opened many cans of worms, such that the authorities felt compelled to send him home to allow for proper investigation.
“The CBN governor’s probe by the Reps is just a prelude to what may follow in a few days,” it cited an unnamed source as saying.
Quoting the report: “ad hoc committee of the House investigating the alleged missing 48 million barrels of Bonny Light crude had summoned Emefiele to provide details on the N32.5 billion said to have been paid to two companies — Messrs GSCL Consulting and Bizplus — without formal records.
“The Green Chamber is also investigating an alleged payment of $200 million to the firms for “consultancy service.
“Speaking at the investigative hearing, Mark Gbillah, chairman of the ad hoc committee, said available records showed that the CBN paid N16.5 billion to each of the two companies on the same day.
“Gbillah added that the amount was withdrawn by the companies within two months.
“The lawmaker said it was important for Nigerians to know why the apex bank paid the said amount to the companies, especially when Abubakar Malami, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, denied knowledge of the payments.”
The suspended CBN governor has long been courting trouble with the apex bank’s policies under him and indications that he was interested in succeeding ex-president, Muhammadu Buhari.
President Tinubu during his campaign trail claimed the naira redesign and swap, which Emefiele introduced and consequently throwing the common man into financial distress was aimed at derailing his election.
