Clamours for the dismissal of the embattled Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, may have hit a brick wall as the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret. ), welcomed back the CBN chief, who recently returned to the country from his annual leave.
“You are welcome back. “I am grateful that you are well received,” Buhari told Emefiele during a meeting at the State House on Thursday.
This is Emefiele’s first meeting with the President since he resumed duty on January 16.
Later on Thursday evening, the CBN chief returned for another meeting with the president but declined to comment on the issues discussed.
Emefiele has previously participated in an Arab Bank for Economic Development team led by the bank’s director general, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah.
Buhari said, “The Central Bank Governor, you are welcome back,” while maintaining proper etiquette before his remarks. “I’m glad you’re warmly received.” Emefiele left the country in December after an inquiry into many claims against him, including corruption and terror financing.
The DSS had sought a court warrant to arrest him weeks before. However, the request was denied by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The DSS requested that the CBN governor be arrested for alleged “acts of supporting terrorism, fraudulent operations, and economic crimes of national security dimension.”
On October 20, 2022, Emefiele was called by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja for the $53 million judgement debt originating from the Paris Club refund. The court ordered him to appear on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, as the hearing date.
Mr. Emefiele, on the other hand, filed an appeal against the FHC verdict, claiming that Justice Ekwo erred in law and caused a miscarriage of justice by ordering his attendance in court for the $53 million debt. When the case was summoned on Wednesday, the proceedings could not progress as scheduled, thus the court adjourned the case until March 20, 2023.
