Emefiele presidential declaration is a breach of public service rules – Lawyer
A constitutional lawyer, Mr Liborous Osoma, has said that the presidential declaration of Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, is a breach of the public service rules.
The Informant247 had reported that the incumbent CBN governor had purchased the presidential forms to contest the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2023 general elections.
While reacting to Emefiele’s declaration of ambition to be the next president, Osoma said the CBN, as an independent bank, and in regard to Section 1 (3) of the CBN Act, its governor should be non-partisan.
The section read, “In order to facilitate the achievement of its mandate under this Act and the Banks and other Financial Institutions Act, and in line with the objective of promoting stability and continuity in economic management, the Bank shall be an independent body in the discharge of its functions.”
The lawyer said that the central bank governor had unduly meddled with the independence of the bank by deciding to contest for the presidency, without first of all, resigning his current appointment as the CBN governor.
He said, “If the head of the bank is not an independent body, that means the bank in not independent. The Central Bank of Nigeria that is supposed to be an independent body and the banker to states that are both ruling party and opposition parties is partisan. That is a breach of the public service rules. The CBN governor ought to have resigned by virtue of Section 11 (3) of the CBN Act.”
“But here, once it is the ruling party, no offence has been committed. It is sad. The CBN governor has shown partisan inclination. He has collected a nomination form,” he added.
