By: Emmanuel Abi Couson
The reported sleaze in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN under the last administration has pitched the embattled former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele against the Special investigator, Jim Obazee.
Emefiele denied the allegations of corruption that went viral describing it as ” barefaced lies told by the investigator in order to achieve his satanic agenda.”
Emefiele, in a statement on Sunday said that he had gone through the publications, labelling them as “false and misleading,” and saying that the articles were publicly written to injure his character.
He also claimed that the source of the outlets that published the alleged defamatory articles is Jim Obazee, a private investigator who was appointed by President Bola Ahmed , adding that he had been instructed by his lawyers to refrain from speaking about the matter as it was in the courts already, but he needed to address some issues that “are barefaced lies told by the investigator in order to achieve his satanic agenda.”
The statement reads: “First, it was reported that, contrary to the provision of the CBN Act 2007, there was no presidential approval for the Naira redesign. I wish to state unequivocally that there was indeed a presidential approval, and the said approval was handed over to the same Jim Obazee during the process of his investigation in the presence of senior CBN officials and his own investigative team.
“Moreover, the former President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR has stated on a number of occasions that he authorised and approved the Naira redesign. I am therefore at a loss as to why Mr. Jim Obazee will mislead Nigerians that there was no presidential approval.
“The report also claimed that the sum of 6.23 million dollars was withdrawn from the CBN vault based on a false presidential directive bearing the signature of the former president Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, and that of the former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha.
“About two weeks ago, Jim Obazee in company of a certain Deputy Commissioner of Police from Force CID came to Kuje to ask me questions in respect of the said document in the presence of my lawyers. I stated verbally and in writing that I have no knowledge of such directive from the former president and the former SGF. In fact, I told them that that was the first time I would be seeing the documents. On this, I challenge Jim Obazee to publish the said documents and also the statements that I made to them.
“The final issue that I will like to respond to is the issue of the 593 accounts which were purportedly opened in different parts of the world. I state categorically that I am not involved in the opening of these accounts and I do not have knowledge of their openings. The fixed deposits in those foreign accounts are definitely outside my knowledge. However, let me state clearly, that the relevant departments of the CBN have the authority to carry out such activities in line with their lawful mandate within the CBN.”
The ex.CBN governor wantb a thorough and transparent investigation of the alleged frauds adding that he has instructed his lawyers to begin legal processes to clear his name from the allegations that have been levelled against him.
