Some Northern groups under the auspices of Partnership for Peace and Community Development, PPCD, Thursday, threw weight behind economic and financial policies by the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, to sanitize and protect the country’s economy from collapse.
The groups include Arewa Youth Council, AYC, Northern Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Northern Women Emancipation, NWE, Arewa Youth Parliament,AYP, and Arewa Youth Federation, AYF, pledged their support for Emefiele at a media conference held in Abuja.
The Convener of PPCD, Comrade Muhammad Sada, who read the address titled ‘Partnership for Peace and Community Development in Appreciation of the Gpood Policies of CBN in the Area of Agriculture, Forex Policy and E-Naira, said some faceless individuals and groups have taken it upon themselves to malign, distract and discredit the hard earned reputation of CBN under Emefiele’s leadership.
He said: “After holistic appraisal of the issues and pros and cons of the policies the CBN Governor has recently embarked upon in order to stem the tides of the free fall of the Naira with a view to strengthen our national currency and stabilize the economy, we have come to the bitter realization that Mr Godwin Emefiele has boldly step on the toes of some powerful individuals who have been benefiting from the old opaque and corrupt system that was wreaking havoc ion the Nigerian economy for so long.
“As civil society organizations that are mindful of our responsibilities to the public, we cannot fold our arms and watch few unscrupulous individuals hold the rest of the country to ransom, which has succeeded in alienating the vast majority of our compatriots from benefiting from our God given potentials as a country. That is why we are here to lend our support to the CBN policies and leadership dexterity of Mr Godwin Emefiele, and we condemn attempts to blackmail and intimidate the Governor into resigning his position.
“We appreciate the CBN Governor and his giant strides towards making the CBN to stand the test of time in our noble country, and we appeal to him to remain focused and undeterred because the Nigerian people are happy with him for what he is doing, especially in the area of agriculture and forex.”
Meanwhile, the group pointed out some major policies and impacts of the Emefiele-led CBN, especially, when he was first appointed Governor of the apex bank, which also brought about his reappointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the group the CBN boss has been able to sustain the economy amid the raging novel Coronavirus, COVID 19 pandemic, which he had also brought sanity at the CBN and commercial banks in the interest of Nigerians, but he is still being attacked by persons and groups the group described as enemies of Nigeria who do not want change and progress because of “their perfidious desire and self-centred material aggrandizement.”
“We want to use this medium to sound a not of warning to groups and politicians by whatever names they call themselves that specialize in blackmail to extort money from agencies and parastatals of government by appealing to the emotions of Nigerians to desist from their ungodly practices.”