While some political onlookers in the country, may view the suspension and subsequent arrest of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Mr Godwin Emefiele by the Department of State Services (DSS) on the directives of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, as diversionary, others may see it as a welcome development owing to Emefiele’s monetary policies and alleged sponsorship of terrorism while he was on the saddle.
Whichever way, those who followed trends during the cashless policy of the CBN instituted by Emefiele had long predicted that he (Emefiele) would be a victim of the harassment today since the policy did not allow certain heavyweights in the political landscape to openly throw money around for the electorate during the last general elections.
Again, some of us who followed and watched keenly the utterances of some of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stalwart predicted that the sledge hammer will definitely fall on Emefiele if those whom the policy didn’t go down well with finally emerge.
Without disputing the powers the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria wields, vis-a-vis hiring, dismissing or alteration of current status quo in the country, I submit that the suspension of Godwin Emefiele, is not in anyway, the problem of Nigeria currently and will never end the current controversy that has surrounded the removal of the fuel subsidy.
I see it as completely diversionary. Questions that I have asked since the news of his suspension and arrest unfolded, is…suspending or arresting Emefiele, how will it affect the ordinary man on the street or civil servants that are mandated to be at work everyday from Monday to Friday? Must Nigerian politicians always drag the masses in their vendetta and settling of scores?
For crying out loud, the country is beclouded with myriad challenges and the task staring in the face of the Federal Government is how to tackle this multiplicity of problems and not vendetta.
A serious government should swing into action by finding ways of reeling out palliatives that will ameliorate the sufferings of the Nigerian populace who are buying fuel as high as N500 a litre caused by the removal of the subsidy regime.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led federal government must be advised properly to refrain from unnecessary vendetta, election is over, and Nigerians expect that he should sheath his sword in certain areas and go ahead in providing succour to all Nigerians especially as his emergence is still being questioned in Court.
He should spare Nigerians the diversion and come up with robust policies and programmes including a review of the current minimum wage which is no longer at par with the current realities in the country.
Emefiele may or may not have done well in terms of his monetary policies which had adverse effect on the economy, his alleged financing of terrorism in Nigeria, but truth is that, Nigerians don’t need the creation of pseudo-events, what is paramount is for the Federal Government to address the the challenges of the masses.
Izuchukwu Nwokoma is a Journalist, and Public Affairs Analyst.