By Kalu Igwe Kalu
Who was it that Godwin Emefiele, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), annoyed so sorely?
Or how would you explain his arrest by the Department of State Security (DSS) despite a court injunction forbidding such, which he secured in 2022, and at least two other court injunctions reinforcing that since his arrest? And how will you explain his continued detention despite the bail granted him by the court at which he was charged?
Emefiele’s arrest and continued detention must rank quite high in the priorities of President Bola Tinubu’s government that it was the second solid act executed June 10, after casually knocking off the petroleum subsidy while being inaugurated on May 29.
Incurable believers in the welfare of citizenry as the primary purpose of the government, thought that the suspension of Emefiele, not to mention his detention, would somehow usher in the palliative sorely needed in the wake of the harsh inflationary spike that followed the withdrawal of subsidy. His position atop the monetary hierarchy gave rise to such hope. But it turned out about the farthest in President Tinubu’s mind.
President Tinubu has since shown his hand that his eyes are on the Brettonwoods institutions – the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Satisfying them comes first, and any other thing can follow, if there’s room. Removal of subsidy is their classical demand, followed by the floating of currency (even non-convertible currency). They had been needling the Buhari government with both, but Buhari didn’t deliver on them.
Yes, Brettonwoods may have demanded that Emefiele, Buhari’s lapdog, be elbowed aside. But hardly would they have demanded his arrest and continued detention. Or was it a demonstration of the adage that when Massa says, Jump, slave submissively ask, How high? Of course, he dares not question, why?
Ok, it may be uncharitable to describe the president as some puppet to western powers as some are beginning to think, particularly in the light of his response to the coup in Niger, our northern neighbor.
Our president is patriotic and his acts are in the best interest of the state and its people. If so, his actions must be dictated by the laws of the land which he swore to uphold. The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended, the prime ordinance governing the country, emphasizes liberty and freedom of movement. In this light, it states that but for a few cases like murder, arson, treason and the likes, anybody arrested by authorities in Nigeria must be charged to court within 24 hours.
This government turned a blind eye to this fundamental edict and charged Emefiele to court 45 days after his arrest. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On July 13, an Abuja High Court judge, ordered that Emefiele be either charged to court or be released, as the charges being proffered against the man were bailable offences. Incidentally, that very same day, the charges of possession of firearm and ammunitions were filed against the man at a Lagos High Court by the DSS, and he was charged to court on July 25th.
A great many Nigerians were aghast, wondering whether that was all that would warrant a breach of a fundamental human rights and a principal pillar of the Constitution, as manifested in the 45-day detention.
Businessday newspapers reported Inibehe Effiong, a Lagos-based human rights lawyer, as describing the charge as ridiculous.
“If you are keeping somebody in custody for over 30 days and the reason for detaining the person is possession of firearms, it shows that the agency is not serious, it shows that the government is not serious, it shows that they have taken Nigerians for a fool. Because what they said was on the insinuation that Emefiele was being detained for alleged terrorism financing, now, if you are now charging him for illegal possession of firearms and this is was a charge that came about after his house was invaded, then it means that they are telling us that before his house was searched, they had no reason to have arrested him.”
The story has since changed. The DSS has filed a 20-count charge of malfeasance against Emefiele, and dropped the firearm and ammunition charges. According to the DSS, he gave contracts to a colleague at the bank, contrary to the rules. As Emefiele was arraigned in court for the new charges, he broke down and wept.
Even if Emefiele was caught hands in the pie, are these not bailable offences? Who has Godwin Emefiele offended so badly?
President Bola Tinubu cannot pretend he doesn’t know what is happening to Emefiele. Until Emefiele is proven guilty, he is innocent, according to our laws. Why the haste to have him imprisoned? A few years ago, in his National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) days, activist Bola Tinubu would have fought for the freedom of Emefiele, and the enforcement of his fundamental human rights. It is a different story today. Was Tinubu’s NADECO activism a ruse? Are we beginning to see the man in his real elements? Is this creeping dictatorship?
...Kalu Igwe Kalu writes from Owerri, Imo State capital, South East, Nigeria. NNL.
