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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has expressed his readiness to issue a warrant of arrest on the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, if he fails to appear before the House committee, on Thursday.
Gbajabiamila said instead of the House adjourning plenary till February 28, for the elections as planned, the lawmakers would reconvene on Tuesday to take action against Emefiele and other bank chiefs who fail to show up.
The Speaker, who noted that Emefiele is his friend, pointed out that he would not hesitate to order the Inspector-General of Police to effect the CBN Governor’s arrest and forceful appearance before the House.
The House had set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the scarcity of the new naira at the Deposit Money Banks, also known as commercial banks, leading to tension over the January 31 deadline set by the CBN for the exchange of the old notes with the newly designed ones.
The House “call on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene over the insistence of the CBN on the tight deadline for the implementation of the cashless policy and currency swap.”
The lawmakers also urged the CBN to extend the implementation of the cashless policy “to at least six months as well as review the daily withdrawal limit and the charges therefrom.”
The resolution followed the unanimous adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by a member of the House from Katsina State, Sara Soli, at Tuesday’s plenary.
On Wednesday, the CBN Governor failed to appear before the ad hockey committee, with both sides blaming it on short notice.
