In a defiant response to the recently released report by Special Investigator Jim Obaze, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, has categorically refuted allegations of misappropriation of funds and unauthorized investments in foreign banks.
Emefiele’s forceful rebuttal was conveyed through a detailed statement titled, ‘Re: Emefiele, others stole billions, illegally kept Nigeria’s funds in foreign banks,’ issued on Sunday.
The report, unveiled last week by Jim Obaze, implicated Emefiele in lodging £543,482,213 in fixed deposits in UK banks without proper authorization during his tenure as the CBN governor.
Obaze further claimed that Emefiele invested Nigeria’s money in 593 foreign bank accounts in the United States, China, and the United Kingdom, all without the necessary approvals.
Emefiele, currently navigating a legal situation and recently released on bail from the Kuje correctional center, took issue with the sources of information cited by various media outlets, pointing to the report prepared by Jim Obazee, who was appointed by the President as a private investigator.
In his statement, Emefiele expressed his reluctance to delve into details due to the legal proceedings but deemed it necessary to address the issues raised in the publications, which he deemed as “false, misleading and calculated to disparage my person.”
Emefiele challenged specific claims made by the investigator, starting with the assertion that there was no presidential approval for the naira redesign, contrary to the provisions of the CBN Act 2007.
Emefiele countered this by asserting that there was indeed a presidential approval, handed over to Jim Obazee during the investigation in the presence of senior CBN officials and his investigative team. He cited former President Muhammadu Buhari’s repeated statements confirming his authorization of the naira redesign.
Regarding the alleged withdrawal of $6.23 million from the CBN vault based on a false presidential directive, Emefiele stated that he denied knowledge of such a directive during questioning by Obazee and challenged the investigator to publish the said documents and statements made during the inquiry.
Emefiele also addressed the issue of 593 accounts purportedly opened worldwide, asserting that he was not involved in their opening and lacked knowledge of the fixed deposits in those accounts.
He emphasized that relevant CBN departments have the authority to conduct such activities within the lawful mandate of the institution.
In concluding his statement, Emefiele declared his commitment to legal recourse, instructing his lawyers to initiate the necessary processes to clear his name from the defamatory statements contained in the report and subsequent publications.
The unfolding saga underscores the intricacies of investigating high-profile individuals and the challenges of navigating legal battles amid intense public scrutiny.
As Emefiele seeks to vindicate himself, the matter calls for a thorough and transparent investigation to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and ensure justice prevails.
