- Bello Matawalle, governor of Zamfara, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to cancel the study leave allegedly granted to Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
There have been reports that Emefiele was recently granted a study leave by Buhari.
Reacting in a statement on Monday, Matawalle said Buhari has demonstrated that he is a patriot, democrat and a man of impeccable integrity and character.
He said Byhari has also demonstrated good faith by showing his readiness for a seamless transfer of power to the incoming administration.
However, the Zamfara governor said some officials in the current administration have acted otherwise.
“President Buhari and his wife Aisha Buhari have shown good faith and shown they want a seamless orderly and peaceful transfer of power to the incoming administration,” Matawalle said.
“They are eager to ensure that the new regime takes off smoothly and speedily and in a manner devoid of any encumbrance in the interest of our country.
“This is the right thing to do and I commend President Buhari and his wife for their statesmanly conduct.
“However, other officers in the government have acted in a different manner. They are behaving as if they want to put spanners in the work for the incoming regime.
“President Buhari should not allow this. He should frown at any attempt by any person seeking to damage the good job he has done.
“I want, here and now, to urge President Buhari to not approve any study leave or whatever kind of leave for any officer critical to the take-off of the incoming administration of Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“One of such persons that has been speculated in the media to have sought a study leave is Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele.
“If the leave has been approved, as reported in the media, the President should cancel it in the interest of peaceful transfer of power, accountability and good governance.”
Matawalle accused Emefiele of implementing “a disastrous naira swap”, adding that the CBN governor must be made to account for all that transpired under his watch to the incoming administration.
“CBN Governor Emefiele superintended over the management of the country’s financial and monetary systems. He is the one who initiated and implemented the recent disastrous naira swap policy, the naira confiscation program, which put Nigerians through untold woes and trauma and set our economy backwards,” he said.
“Two of my brother-governors and I took the federal government to court over this ill-advised policy and fought resolutely until we got a respite for our people from Emefiele and company.
“This same Emefiele now wants to proceed on study leave when he has some 10 months left of his tenure apparently in a bid to evade rendering accounts. This is unacceptable.
“President Buhari should not countenance this. Emefiele must stay at his job to give full accounts of all that transpired under his watch to the incoming administration.
“He must answer all the questions the new regime may have for him particularly when he still has some months left of his tenure.”
‘PLANS BY OFFICIALS TO LEAVE NIGERIA DANGEROUS’
Matawalle also asked Buhari not to approve foreign postings or grant any foreign travels for any officer at any level in the outgoing government.
“I’m aware that some officers in the outgoing government are moving to surreptitiously leave the country at this critical time they are needed to answer to specific questions, though I would not want mention their names here,” he added.
“President Buhari should not heed their inordinate and unpatriotic plan. These plans are dangerous and devilish. They show clearly that these officers have something to hide.
“This must be halted immediately. Any plan to evade rendering accounts is neither in the interest of accountability, transparency and anti-corruption.”
