Cash scarcity crisis: Edo APC chieftain demands Emefiele, Malami’s sack, prosecution

An Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, John Mayaki, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the duo of Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami and the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

He hinged his appeal on the ignoble role both of them played in disobeying the judgment of the Supreme Court over naira redesign policy rhat subjected Nigerians to an untold hardship.

Mayaki spoke in Abuja during a press conference held on Wednesday, insisting that should they escape judgment during Buhari’s regime the President-elect, Bola Tinubu should prosecute them.

“The presidency had sought to absolve itself from the anger, disappointment and needless economic tribulations caused by the head of the CBN Emefiele, and his accomplices in the Villa with a press statement proclaiming the president’s innocence about the flagrant disobedience to the Supreme Court judgment that established the validity of the old naira notes until the end of the year, eleven days after the ruling was delivered.

“In the statement, the presidency argued that the CBN and other relevant agencies do not require a prompt from the President to obey a court ruling — especially the country’s apex court, in line with his respect for the rule of law, a principle, they claimed, he has upheld since his emergence as the country’s leader.

“Without wading into the validity of the claim, as that is left to historians whose job it is to carry out a post-mortem of this administration’s deeds and determine Buhari’s legacy, we wish to inform Mr. President that he cannot simply be let off the hook with a belated statement that came at the time the status quo was evidently unsustainable,” he noted.

On the option left for him, the Edo APC chieftain said: “To fully redeem himself and prove his non-involvement in the evil conspiracy against ordinary Nigerians and small businesses across the country, Mr. President must, in line with his constitutional powers and obligations as the nation’s leader, hold those responsible for this sabotage to account.

“Without mincing words, our demand as Nigerians is that there must be a reckoning for the disaster of the past few months — and it must begin with the leading culprits in the persons of Emefiele and his chief backer, Malami, who has failed to distinguish himself in this sad debacle.

“Mr. President must go further and beyond the statement and take actions and measures that will restore confidence and hope in the judiciary and our battered economy. That begins with an immediate sack of Emefiele and Malami,” he insisted.

Mayaki however appealed that should they escape the hammer of President Buhari, the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, should not hesitate to sack Emefiele and prosecute both of them.

“The President-elect, Tinubu has a task on his hands – and this is not only urgent, it is a matter of national importance. He must immediately sack the CBN Governor, Emefiele, if he survives this present administration of President Buhari.

“The incoming administration must set up a panel of inquiry to probe Emefiele and Malami, charge them to Court for treason, disobedience to Court judgement and economic sabotage among other related offences commensurate with all the crimes they jointly and individually committed against Nigerians and the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he appealed.