Joseph Hayab, chairperson of the Kaduna chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has expressed concern over the plot to arrest and detain Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
A federal high court in Abuja declined an application by the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest Emefiele over terrorism charges.
There are suggestions that the bid to arrest Emefiele might be political given the impact the redesign of the naira and limit on cash withdrawals might have on vote buying in the 2023 elections.
Reacting, Hayab, in a statement, wondered how the new CBN policy has become a tool for politicians to pick a fight with Emefiele.
He accused the politicians of wanting to intimidate the CBN governor in order to carry out voter inducement during the elections.
“What are those against CBN new money policy hiding?” he asked.
“We are concerned that what should be a monetary policy has become a tool for some politicians to pick a fight with the Governor of the Central Bank and his board. Why would a spokesman of a political party be releasing a statement encouraging the DSS to go after the CBN Governor?
“That shows that this is a case of the voice of Jacob and the hand of Esau. Surely, every right-thinking Nigerian knows that politicians had stockpiled huge sums of cash in order to manipulate the 2023 elections.
“Indeed, we saw the image on a blackboard behind the son of a prominent politician where the words ‘monetary inducement’ was boldly written. Therefore, we are of the considered view that the attempt to intimidate the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria into abandoning the program of redesigning the naira and the new ATM limits is at the behest of politicians whose election strategy is based on money inducement.
“We remind all and sundry that the international community is watching this unfolding artificial crisis and is not fooled by the positioning of those who want to frustrate this patriotic policy. No one should take the silence and patience of Nigerians for granted. Nigerians have suffered enough.”
