15th February, 2022
Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has said it is the prerogative of President Muhammadu Buhari to map out his succession plan.
Emefiele said this in response to calls for him to throw his hat in the ring and contest the 2023 presidential election.
The CBN governor spoke when a ‘group of his friends’, tagged ‘Friends of Godwin Emefiele’, visited him to discuss the controversy over his rumoured presidential ambition in 2023.
Emefiele, according to the group, maintained that he would leave his faith firmly in the hands of God as regards the choice of the leadership of the country in 2023.
The group said the verbal attacks on Emefiele over the rumoured 2023 bid are uncalled for, since he has not confirmed to anyone “he is running for President even as he is constitutionally qualified to do so”.
“Only yesterday, as the speculation became widespread, a group of his friends under the aegis of FRIENDS OF GODWIN EMEFIELE met with him to clarify his position,” a statement signed by the group, reads.
“Here is what he told us: That he remains focused on his job and will continue supporting the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government’s economic recovery drive; that in his career trajectory, right from his days as a young banker, he never asked, nor lobbied for a job, he was invited by the Board of Directors to be the Chief Executive Officer/Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank as he was an integral part of the team, led by founder Jim Ovia, that transformed Zenith Bank from a start-up to one of Africa’s largest banks with subsidiaries in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gambia, South Africa, Dubai, China and the United Kingdom.”
According to the group, Emefiele said that in 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan tapped him to be the CBN Governor, a job he didn’t lobby for and in which his name was not among those being considered at that time and was not even from the geo-political zone that most people thought the job would go to as the president then was from the same geopolitical zone with him.
It also quoted Emefiele to have said he, “remains humbled by President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to grant him an unprecedented second term as CBN Governor- again without lobbying. Thus he will continue to remain loyal to him and the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
“Mr. Emefiele told us that he believes it’s the prerogative of President Muhammadu Buhari to plan his succession in line with global best practices for good governance for the continuing peace and progress of the federal republic of Nigeria, as such he will play his part to stabilise the economy for an orderly transition.
“And given that it’s God that anoints leaders, he will leave his fate firmly in the hands of God.”
Highlighting Emefiele’s achievements since he assumed office in June 2014, they said that at the time, his task was huge and the challenges seemed insurmountable but he successfully calmed the waters and put Nigeria back on the path of growth.
They listed the achievements to include reduction of Nigeria’s food import bill, taking COVID-19, regulatory forbearance to banks, and others.
Highlighting his achievements since he assumed office in June 2014, they noted that then, his task was huge and the challenges seemed insurmountable, adding that today he has calmed the waters and put Nigeria back on the path of growth.
“As you will recall there was a sharp fall in crude oil prices from 2015, which led to significant revenue shortfalls in Nigeria where crude oil represents about 95 per cent of Nigeria’s export revenue. This created major shock for the Nigerian economy, leading to a 13-month recession in 2016.
“In comparison to the previous years before Emefiele became the CBN governor, the average price of crude oil from 2010 to 2014 was over $100/barrel and this fell to some $30 / barrel with high production costs of some $25/barrel.
“Despite these challenges Emefiele’s monetary policies supported the Buhari administration and all 36 State governments, ensuring salaries were paid and much more was done, with much less, in infrastructure, steering Nigeria away from much worse outcomes while many oil producers like Kuwait, Russia, Angola and Brunei had longer lasting recessions between of 20 – 60 months,” it stated.
Additionally, FRIENDS OF EMEFIELE urged critics to also understand that the second recession the country entered into in 2020 was as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Then, the global economy (Nigeria inclusive) was plunged into recession because of the pandemic which was unprecedented. It led to declines in economic activities and lockdown across the world.
They pointed out that countries such as the United States had their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) falling in 2020 by -31 per cent in the second quarter (Q2) of that year; the United Kingdom by -19.4 per cent in Q2; European Union by -14.1 per cent in Q2 and Nigeria, with deft response of the CBN had -6.1 per cent in Q2.
“As we all know the CBN supported fiscal authorities in the following areas. N100 billion health sector credit facility for operators in the sector. Today, Nigeria boasts of two world-class cancer centres in Lagos and medical tourism has reduced.
“A one-year extension of a moratorium on principal repayments for CBN intervention facilities; the reduction of the interest rate on intervention loans from nine per cent to five per cent; strengthening of the loan-to-deposit ratio policy (i.e. stepped up enforcement of directive to extend more credit to the private sector),” it stated.