Emefiele: Prominent PDP Chieftain Reacts as Moghalu "Indicts" Jonathan
- Reno Omokri has criticised Prof. Kingsley Moghalu for allegedly attacking Godwin Emefiele "and, in the same breath, complaining about a media trial"
- Omokri said it is hypocritical of Moghalu to complain about a media trial and then proceed to give a media judgement against the man you are defending against a media trial"
- Legit.ng recalls that the special investigator probing Emefiele had discovered 593 bank accounts located in the diaspora in which the CBN, under Emefiele, kept Nigerian funds without authorisation
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 6-year-experience covering politics in Nigeria
FCT, Abuja - Reno Omokri, a prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday, December 24, condemned Kingsley Moghalu for his “strange attack” on ex-president Goodluck Jonathan.
Moghalu, a former deputy governor of the CBN, had described embattled ex-governor of the apex bank, Godwin Emefiele, as the worst Nigeria has ever produced.
Source: Twitter
The Professor questioned the appointment of Emefiele as CBN Governor in 2014 by Jonathan.
He also criticised his reappointment by ex-president Muhammadu Buhari “despite his obvious -even then - weak performance”.
But reacting to Moghalu’s comment, Omokri accused Moghalu of “grandstanding”.
His full post reads:
“I am not sure Mr. Kingsley Moghalu is being charitable by attacking Godwin Emefiele and, in the same breath, complaining about a media trial. His approach is a bit puzzling. You attack those engaging in a media trial and then add, most bizarrely, to the media trial. What is his agenda? What does he aim to achieve?
“Mr. Moghalu may or may not be right that Emefiele is the 'WORST and MOST damaging Central Bank Governor in Nigeria’s history- incompetent and ill-prepared for the role.'
“However, it is hypocritical to complain about a media trial and then proceed to give a media judgment against the man you are defending against a media trial. Again, what is Moghalau's argument? Where does he stand?
“I have deliberately refused to commend or condemn Mr. Emefiele since his ordeal. A Senator sent me the report by Mr. Jim Obazee of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria. I read it. It makes for interesting reading. But it would be shallow of me to render a judgment, whether in the media or privately, as this matter is before the courts. However, Mr. Kingsley Moghalu's puzzling behaviour does not stop there. He goes on to incredibly indict former President Jonathan. He asks him to give explanations 'for the collapse of Nigeria’s central bank under Emefiele and the subsequent trauma to Nigeria’s economy.'
“What sort of grandstanding is this?
“In the Obazee report, the alleged wrongdoings of Mr. Emefiele were not carried out under President Jonathan, who courageously abided by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007. And because of his discipline, at the time he handed over to General Buhari on May 29, 2015, Nigeria was on a sound financial footing, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of roughly 19%, before 2013, which shrank to 12% after Nigeria's GDP rebasing of 2014, and a budget deficit of under 5%, with an average GDP growth rate of over 6% for the five years he was in office.
“What explanation does Mr. Jonathan have to give besides the above, which calls for praise?
“And even if his claims are true, which they are not, how does Kingsley Moghalu absolve himself, seeing as he was also a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria between 2009 and 2014?
“Yes, he may have been disappointed that former President Jonathan did not reappoint him as Deputy Governor after his term expired in 2014 or even appoint him as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, as he hoped. But that does not mean he should throw away proper jurisprudence and begin to assume that the allegations against Emefiele are proven and to blame President Jonathan rather than focus his acid pen on the Buhari era, during which these malfeasances were alleged to have occurred."
Omokri continued:
“Kingsley Moghalu was at the CBN between 2009 and 2014, and his era there was not without its controversies. Nevertheless, on March 18, 2014, Mr. Moghalu said about President Jonathan to the Independent of London as follows:
"The president of Nigeria and the government of Nigeria have never in my knowledge interfered with the function of the central bank. And therefore I think we need to give them credit for respecting [its] independence."
“Nine years later, he is now asking the man, who by his own admission gave the CBN its complete independence, to give account for Emefiele's alleged malfeasances, which occurred AFTER he left office.
“The logic is neither analytical nor deductive. No wonder Moghalu was not reappointed or promoted!”
Emefiele leaves Kuje prison
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Emefiele perfected the bail conditions granted him by Justice Hamza Mu’auz of the FCT high court in Maitama.
Justice Mu’auz had granted Emefiele bail for N300 million.
It was gathered that Emefiele’s release warrant was signed by a vacation judge, Justice Othman Musa, on Friday, December 22.
Tinubu's investigator compounds Emefiele's troubles
Meanwhile, Jim Obaze, the special investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to examine the activities of the CBN and related entities, submitted incriminating reports against Emefiele.
The final report, titled 'Report of the Special Investigation on CBN and Related Entities (Chargeable Offences),' was submitted to the president.
'Emefiele could have faced firing squad’, Onanuga
Legit.ng also reported that Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said Emefiele would have been facing firing squad for high treason in China.
Onanuga stated while reacting to the CBN investigation which indicted Emefiele of keeping £543.4 million in fixed deposit.
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Source: Legit.ng
