Sack Emefiele, Malami, others now, CNPP, CSOS tell Buhari
CONFERENCE of Nigeria Political Parties ( CNPP) and allied civil society groups, under the aegis of Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations ( CNCSOS), yesterday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The convener and CNPP’S Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, and National Secretary for CNCSOS, Alhaji Ali Abacha, made the appeal, yesterday, during a press briefing in Abuja.
The groups said their demand was predicated on the eventual purchase of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) presidential nomination form by Emefiele while still in office.
“We call on President Buhari to immediately sack Emefiele as CBN Governor over gross misconduct in line with the Public Service Rules and CBN Act for registering as a member of APC since 2019,” they stated.
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LSO, some other 32 CSOS called on the Nigerian leader to swiftly disengage and investigate serving ministers and political appointees that had procured nomination forms for next year’s general elections without quitting their current offices.
They also faulted the outrageous fee paid for tickets, noting that the development would create room for corruption.
The CSOS include: Centre for Democracy and Development ( CDD), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre ( CISLAC), YIAGA Africa, Centre for Information Technology and
Development ( CITAD), ZeroCorruption Coalition ( ZCC), Partners on Electoral Reform, Alliance for Credible Elections ( ACE), Tax Justice and Governance Platform.
Speaking on behalf of the organisations, yesterday, in Abuja, CISLAC’S Executive Director, Auwal Rafsanjani, Emefiele and AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, do not have the moral capacity to continue in office.
He said the “open partisanship displayed by the CBN governor is not only absurd, but ethically reprehensible and insane.”
Rafsanjani wondered how aspirants, who “are mostly career politicians with no history of private entrepreneurship or beneficiaries of wealthy estates bequeathed by rich parents, are able to purchase the forms.”
He continued: “What manner of politicians would invest over $ 240,000 equivalent in party nomination with the intention to serve?”
The CISLAC chief observed that with recent happenings, “it is of no doubt to any keen observer that the souls of politicians and leaders in this administration are totally disconnected from this nation.”
Continuing, Rafsanjani said: “We have watched with disbelief the misrule of the past seven years. Nigerian communities ha ve become killing fields, while the leaders most of the time are holidaying in foreign countries. University education and health care system have been systematically cri ppled by the nonchalance of ministers and administrators.
“Meanwhile, university students that dared to speak out have been declared state enemies that must be crushed. In addition, vocal civil society groups and advocates are gag ged for speaking out.
“This administration sold an empty moral capital to the pe o ple. Today, it has shown itself morally bereft. Second, there is need to immediately sack and commence an investigation of all ministers and political appointees that have bought forms to contest elections without resignation, which is in contradiction of the Electoral Act 2022 ( as amended).”
The CSOS charged those holding elective and appointive offices to dedicate their remaining period in repairing the “terrible image and morals of the administration by genuinely working for Nigerians and fixing the many challenges facing the economy.”