Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor.

By Emmanuel Afonne

The Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative on Saturday applauded the reappointment of Mr Godwin Emefiele for a second tenure as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, describing it as a “timely economic masterstroke” of the present government.

The group alongside 17 other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) stated this on Saturday in Abuja, through its National Coordinator Solomon Adodo, after assessing youth empowerment programmes under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

A statement issued after their meeting stated that most of the economic programmes instituted by Emefiele, among which is the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) was one of the major reasons for his reappointment.

Adodo, however, frowned at the attitude of some detractors masquerading as whistleblowers whom he said failed to thwart the reappointment of the CBN governor.

“The Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative welcomed with deep appreciation the reappointment of Mr. Godwin Emefiele for a second tenure as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“This well-deserved reappointment is indeed a timely masterstroke to ensure the stability and gradual improvement of the Naira against other world currencies while strengthening the base for rapid economic growth and national development which will birth more jobs for the youth.

“We are however utterly saddened and dismayed at the fact that some detractors masquerading as whistle-blowers have filled the media space with spurious allegations against the person of Godwin Emefiele.

“These fiendish elements by their actions have exposed themselves as enemies of the economic recovery and progress recorded by the Buhari-led administration in the last four years.

“We wish to use this medium to warn these detractors to desist from their actions which are antithetical to the economic prosperity of our nation.

“As a group that has benefited from the sound monetary and economic policies marshalled out under the watch of Godwin Emefiele as CBN Governor, we shall not fold our arms and watch while pseudo-patriots labour to reverse the gains recorded thus far,” the statement quoted Adodo as saying.

He also urged politicians who could be working to destabilise the good government of President Buhari, always know that there are consequences for such actions.

“Our scrupulous findings have traced the needless concerted attacks against the CBN Governor to some powerful individuals who are bent on controlling the CBN amongst other Agencies all in a bid to build a financial war chest ahead of the 2023 presidential elections.

“We make bold to state that this is unpatriotic, unstatesmanly and at cross purposes with the tenets of democracy and good governance.

“The several statements credited to some of them on the 2023 presidential elections are a huge distraction to the government of President Buhari who is just about to commence his second tenure.

“At any rate, we must remind the concerned public and all those mounting pressure, that President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to hand over power to the youth come 2023,” he noted in the statement.

The Senate had on May 16 confirmed the reappointment of Godwin Emefiele as Governor of the CBN for another term of five years after President Buhari sent his name to the National Assembly on May 8 for confirmation.

Emefiele’s first term in office ends in June, hence his confirmation for a second term of five years. (NAN)