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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Seven Civil Society Organisation, has debunked allegations against the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, that he budgeted N500 billion and imported 3 airplanes for next year’s presidential election.
Its President, Bassey Etuk Williams, in a statement yesterday, described the news published by an online platform as “fake, and uncharitable.”
Williams said, “The attention of Coalition of Civil Civil Society Groups has been drawn to another round of campaign of calumny against the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by the controversial online Blog Sahara Reporters story titled “2023: Central Bank Governor, Emefiele Brings In Three Airplanes For Presidential Campaign, Asked To Resign By Buhari Government Cabal”, alleging that Mr Godwin Emefiele has allocated about N500 billion for his presidential ambition, leveraging his edge as the manager of the country’s most critical financial institution.
“It is important to know that these baseless allegations were not new, as it has become the priority, of Sahara Reporters and its co-travelers, to engage in smear campaign against Mr Godwin Emefiele, but as usual to their disappointment, it will not fly, because it is not true.
“Therefore, this latest round of smear campaign is one of the series of campaigns of calumny by these disgruntled characters, to malign the CBN Governor and the bank as an institution.
“Yet, typical of blackmailers and mischief makers despite failures, they have refused to give up. The online news medium’s latest report against Mr Emefiele, is obviously fake and non-existent.
“It is only in their imagination and its sponsors, that one individuals would have purchased three aircrafts for a political campaign and kept a whooping N500 billion for same purpose.
“If it wasn’t for the timing, this puerile concoction masquerading as a news report would have passed for mere comic relief, but knowing the dangers of fake news to social cohesion there is a need to set the records straight as a responsible arbiter between government and the governed.
“The platform that published this assemblage of downright falsehood, which could only have been the product of a fertile imagination, has a well documented history of making such publications capable of demeaning the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its institutions.
“But as a patriotic group we cannot be bystanders at such a critical moment in our nation’s history, as it is our goal to ensure that public institutions are not drawn into the muddy waters of partisan politics.
“It is a fact that these ones couldn’t find their voices or even their pens when the nation was flush with cash and this excess was not invested in the productive base of the economy.
“That only now they are beginning to rack their imagination to come up with fictitious figures from institutions not under management of the CBN, as sponsors of a so called presidential campaign shows clearly the source, even though their cowardice wouldn’t let them come out openly.”
He warned that, “the coalition will no longer tolerate any attempt to put the unity of Nigeria at risk, through the potent instrumentality of fake news and malicious reports.
“We will henceforth not hesitate to name names behind these falsehoods being spread in the public space for personal gain.
“It is an indisputable fact that the 2023 elections have not even commenced and we urge politicians to take the backseat and allow the government of the day finish their term in office and wait until the ban on campaigns are lifted before speculating on who is contesting for what and making statements capable of heating the polity further.
“Godwin Emefiele has not wronged the long suffering people of Nigeria by his policies that have created jobs and strengthened the productive base of the economy.
“It is really worrisome that some people could condescend so low to fabricate baseless allegation against the CBN Governor, for reasons that could best be described as mischievous.
“It is equally worrisome that Sahara Reporters could lend space for this obvious mischief. We really do not believe that it is because the price is right.
“These campaigns would prod the CBN governor and the management of the Bank, to continue to serve the nation diligently and with utmost zeal and those whose immoral and illegitimate livelihoods have been affected by these people oriented policies would do well to support the Nigerian economy and help create jobs for our teeming youth to keep them out of the reach of criminal elements.”
