President Bola Tinubu’ s former spokesman in the south east, Dr. Josef Onoh has canvassed for the prosecution of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the suspeded Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) who was relieved of his appointment on Friday.
Onoh had in the hit of the new Naira notes scarcity, before the 2023 general election, asked for the arrest and prosecution of the former CBN Governor for economic sabotage and other sundry issues that greeted the hardship of the Naira notes redesign policy with it’s attendant scarcity that paralyzed the country, few weeks to the the country’s general elections.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, through the Director of Information, Willie Bassey on Friday evening issued a circular directing for the immediate suspension of the Emefiele and asked him to hand over to the CBN’s Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate), Mr. Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi.
The Department for State Security (DSS) has however denied apprehension of Emefiele.
Earlier than his suspension, Emefiele was alleged to have contributed significantly to the Nigeria’s weak economy through his enunciation of improper monetary polices. Shortly after he introduced the new Naira notes redesign, the Department for State Security, DSS, declared him wanted, but Emefiele left Nigeria for a vacation; but when he came back, soldiers became his guards, making it impossible for him to be arrested by the DSS.
Some of the allegations against him for which the DSS still wants and has apprehended him is his alleged Terrorism financing. It was alleged that Emefiele finances the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB) and it’s military wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) with moneies he raised when he wanted to contest for the presidency of Nigeria.
The former CBN Governor, Emefiele, is also alleged to operate secret companies in tax havens. He is alleged to have stakes in at least three companies in offshore tax havens, and illegally remained connected to at least one of them until July 2017, while also holding on to his top CBN job.
Commending President Bola Tinubu for Emefiele’s sack and arrest by the DSS, Onoh said that Emefiele should answer to the Terrorism charge against him, adding that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should also invite him to account for all the funds released to him for the printing of the new Naira notes.
Onoh said that Nigeria cannot continue promoting an economy of waste, threatening that if the Dss fails to arrest him and also the EFCC fails to quiz Emefiele, he would be forced to approach the Court for an order of Mandamus, for the respective agencies to interrogate the deposed CBN Governor and possibly charge him for terrorism financing, economic waste and corruption.
He urged the EFCC to investigate an alleged $250,000 requested by Emefiele’s brother in-law, one Mr. John Omoile, to clear unpaid income tax in the USA in 2020; and another cash support of $645,000 to the same Omoile by Emefiele
Onoh said that Emefiele’s wife, Margaret, and Omoile, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the US, are cousins who need to be invited by the DSS and the EFCC to answer to some questions, alleging that Omoile on different occasions helped the Emefieles to buy houses in his neighbourhood in Coppell, Texas.
“Emefiele should explain the current status of one of the companies he incorporated in USA with one Pius Oyibo after signing a tripartite agreement in Coppell, Texas, to form an oil and gas company on 7 December 2007. The proposed firm called Noka Energy Nigeria Limited was to buy, sell and transport petroleum products in Nigeria.”
He further said that the current status of a company Emefiele formed in the US, Rosewood Malcom LLC which would buy, sell and develop real estate properties in the US, b
also that the current status of a property linked to Emefiele located at
7026 W. 43rd Street, Houston Texas; as well as $360,000 sent by Mr Emefiele to his in law to purchased a property in Coppell Texas should all be investigated.
Onoh also notes that in a letter dated 17 January 2022, Emefiele’s lawyer in the USA, Nitor Egbarin,, admitted that5 Emefiele agreed to relinquish all his rights in the two properties in Houston to Mr Omoile valued at over $207,650.
He said that Emefiele also paid off the Wachovia Mortgage balance of about $155,000; stressing that the ex- CBN governor also sent $250,000 requested by Mr Omoile to clear unpaid income tax in 2020.
He further recalled that the sum of N2 billion loan was given to the National President of the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN), Anibe Achimugu and requested that Emefiele’s Personal Assistant, Erich Odoh should also be quizzed.
“Those Terrorism financing charges against Emefiele affects the south east and parts of south south where many lives and properties have been lost to mindless killings and territorial occupation. These are not by any means a frivolity which the security agencies and financial control agencies should not sweep under the carpet.
“Emefiele and his close aides should be thoroughly scanned for these charges, for the hardship, misery he brought to many Nigeria families due to his selfish purpose. Moreso, Emefiele should be charged for breaching the CBN act that stipulates his terms and conditions of office.
“After his investigations by the DSS, he should be handed over to the EFCC, after which the Code of Conduct Tribunal should also do the same thing and charge him for breaching codes of conduct for his office.
“Emefiele will go down Nigerian history as the only public officer who has broken, violated all extant laws in Nigeria as related to his service including running against traffic red light during rush hour traffic in Abuja. Even the traffic warden right down to tomatoes seller in the market have issues with him,” Onoh said.
