IS EMEFEILE VICTIM OR CULPRIT?

Modest Thoughts with

(Modest Thoughts with Ayuba Yilgak'ha, June 12, 2023; 08116181263)*

When transition speaks, guilty men quiver. This hypothesis is a classical reality during the adolescence stage in humans and governance transitions as we are currently witnessing in Nigeria and many states of the country. On June 9, 2023, news filtered on social media about the embattled CBN governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele. As it stands, I do not know whether he should be addressed as former governor of the apex bank or embattled head of the institution that could be returned when found innocent after investigation.

The press that floated the media was signed by one Willie Bassey, Director, Information on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The title and full text of the press release are reproduced verbatim for readers' appreciation:

"OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERATION

"PRESS RELEASE

"PRESIDENT TINUBU SUSPENDS HEMIFIELD FROM OFFICE AS CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR

"President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended the Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, CFR, from office with immediate effect.

"This is the sequel to the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy.

"Mr. Emefiele has been directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate), who will act as the Central Bank Governor pending the conclusion of the investigation and the reforms."

For obvious reasons, upon seeing and reading the press paper, I placed a puzzling reaction on my WhatsApp status aimed at gauging the mood of the public on the latest news in town. It reads: "CBN GOVERNOR, GODWIN EMEFIELE IS DOWN, WHO SHOULD BE NEXT? YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE:...!Modest Thought is just thinking!"

Many replies started pouring in but I found one attractive. It was a question from one of my contacts which reads: "Who pls oo!!

No, guess here o!! Help out!!!". My initial take was that the person asking the question might either not be in Nigeria for a while, secluded or could he be out of touch with recent happenings around the country? Just as Cleopas and Simon would ask Jesus on their way to Emmaus from Jerusalem as recorded in the book of Luke 24: 18 - 35.

Anyway, I replied promptly saying: 'Professor Mahmud Yakubu is on my mind but will the president sack him for having been the alleged beneficiary of the former's alleged abracadabra associated with the management of the 2023 electoral processes and outcomes?' It is no news that some frontline presidential candidates are in court to challenge the declaration as the winner and the consequent swearing-in of Tinubu as President of Nigeria by the Independent Election Commission (INEC) which Mahmud chairs!

Anyway, the mind of the man who asked the referenced question could not have gone the way of Professor Mahmud because those who are likely to politically sweat under this present regime are perceived political enemies who did not support Tinubu's most cherished political, that is, presidential ambition, especially, those who served in the former administration of Buhari.

I cannot hold brief for Emefiele but because of trends in politics of vendetta, what the president is likely to do with those who are at cross purpose with his highest political ambition. Things are happening very fast, it has been reported that Godwin Emefiele is already in the dragnet of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) for interrogation. For me, if he is found wanting, then, the law should take it cause but which law are we talking about here? Nigeria is full of ironies. Ideally, those who come to equity are expected to come with clean hands but, substantially, this is not the case in Nigeria!

In this country, state institutions are so weak to the advantage of corrupt elements. It seems, with illicit wealth, a criminal is likely to escape justice effortlessly. It is so sad to observe that in Nigeria, the dubious survival strategy is for a potential criminal to learn to steal big and, then, use the elicited wealth to bribe his or her way into vantaged corridors or positions of power where crime is seemingly protected and legitimized.

Nigerians are living witnesses to how highly placed people in government who shortchanged the system in the most wicked manner faked ill-health while appearing before panels of enquires or oversight or special committees at the National Assembly and after those staged comedies nothing will be heard about the issue or issues again because a lot of water has gone under the bridge. Bribery and corruption, that is, dubious giving and taking, call it exchange of blood fortune has taken place and the matter dies naturally without any mention of it again!

The legal and prosecuting system or philosophy has to be changed if any progress can be made in stemming all manners of corruption in the system. Left for me alone, the idea of declaring a suspect innocent until proven guilty by the accused which is the practice in the Nigerian legal system should be changed so that any suspected person is declared guilty until such a person proves himself innocent as it is the case in the United States of America (USA). The paradigm has to shift because the burden of proof in any case is often very heavy and criminals could easily leverage it to escape justice. If anything, such a heavy burden should be on suspected persons.

Born on August 4, 1961, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, CFR is a Nigerian economist, banker and, most recently, politician who served as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and unsuccessfully aspired to be Nigeria's president during party primaries leading the just concluded 2023 general poll. He will go down in history as the only serving CBN Governor, who against all odds and the conservative nature of his banking profession, contested to be president of Nigeria.

From the plump job of a CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele is entering a new but trying phase of his life. The question which begs for answers at this juncture is thus: Is Godwin Emefiele a victim of circumstance or a culprit caught in the web of institutional corruption? Recall, the embattled CBN governor was appointed by former President GGoodluckEbele Jonathan on June 14, 2014, following the removal of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who later became Emir of Kano under former governor Kwankwaso's regime but was deposed by Tanduje's administration.

Perhaps, Emefiele is the longest-serving CBN Governor in Nigeria who presided over many monetary policy decisions in the country including full implementation of the cashless policy which started in 2010 under Sanusi's watch, and the currency redesign that has somersaulted.

In particular, the currency redesign and cashless policy which were concurrently implemented by the apex bank close to the 2023 general election which produced Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president were perceived, in some quarters as a deliberate ploy by former president Buhari who recently handed over power to the incumbent with his political associates to frustrate the incumbent's chance of becoming Nigeria's president. Whether this insinuation was true is a matter of conjecture. What is in the public space is the excuse the apex bank gave for the implementation of the policies.

According to the press released by the CBN on October 26, 2022, the justification and attraction for the currency redesign were predicated on glaring contradictions arising from the management of the current series of banknotes and currency in circulation, particularly, those outside the banking system in Nigeria. It explained that in recent times, currency management in the country has faced several daunting challenges that have continued to rise in magnitude and sophistication with attendant and unintended implications for the integrity of both the CBN and the country. One of such primary challenges includes significant hoarding of banknotes by members of the public with statistics showing that over 80 percent of currency in circulation is outside the purview of commercial banks. The cashless policy and the currency redesign were, in particular, targeted at the repositioning of Nigeria's monetary policy towards better performance for inclusive growth, stability, and sustainable economic development to take place.

Not satisfied with the justifications provided, however, the matter was challenged and tested in court up to the supreme court by mostly pro-Tinubu governors like Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi and Nyesom Wike of Rivers amongst others. The currency redesign was consequently scuttled but the CBN stuck to its decision of continuing with it. The reality now is that the policy has badly somersaulted or halted and it is no news that Tinubu won the presidency and has since been sworn in on May 29, 2023!

A week or thereabout before the inauguration of President Tinubu, it was widely rumored that former president Buhari had granted study leave for Emefiele to travel for school abroad. Some public observers felt that if the leave rumor turns out to be true, then, the suspended CBN boss will be planning an escape from a perceived vendetta that could come from the new government. The truth or otherwise of this insinuation is a matter of speculation too and only time shall tell.

What is known is the list of weighty allegations the government has against Emefiele which include money laundering, politically motivated employment to power brokers toward brightening the chance of his presidential ambition amongst other weighty breaches of public trust. Anyways, skeptics have their reservations about the objectivity of the investigation against Emefiele but time shall tell who is right and who is wrong and what can be done about it. 

As Nigerians watch the investigation unfold, what is fresh on their minds is the possibility of another high-profile government official going down the abyss or traveling the Dasuki Gate road of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Ibrahim Dasuki code-named "Dasuki Gate" and the fall of the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekeremadu. At a point, these men were powerful movers and shakers of things in the politics and governance of Nigeria but the table has turned against them with ffar-reachinglessons for us all to learn that power is transient and no matter how powerful you become, the passage of time can bring you down to nothing, especially, when you have skeletons in your cupboard!

Let me project that Emefiele's travail might end up becoming the Dasuki Gate of the present time and should that happens, then it will be proper to code name it Emefiele Gate which will provide a lead way into Pandora's box of the immediate past regime. Let me assert that genuine and thorough investigation/interrogation of the past regime of Buhari and its extended legacies (those appointed by him but whose tenure extends into the current time) is a welcome development. However, it is only good that the searchlight be put everywhere without any political bias, sentiment, or vendetta. 

Corruption is a menace in Nigeria and any initiative or action that could help the country root out this hydra-headed monster is expressly welcome. Godwin Emefiele has nothing to fear if his hands are clean. I wish all Nigerians a happy June 12 democracy celebration!

WALLOK: A HOUSE MEMBER WITH A DIFFERENCE

(Modest Thoughts with Ayuba Yilgak'ha, June 10, 2023; 08116181263)

Hon. Barr. Wallok Phillip Goma is a specimen in leadership having been a house of assembly member that represented Kanke State Constituency from June 2019 to June 2023. Leadership is a unique opportunity to serve but with responsibility to account as well. As a matter of fact, the pairs of vision and forthrightness; intellegence and emotional decorum; probity and accountability as well as courage and morality are key elements that make a difference in purposeful leadership but these demands are always hard to keep up with by most leaders.

In history, while anybody can be in a position of leadership; not all are accountable in such vantage position. It was Warren Buffet, one of the world's greatest Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) who aptly said that in hiring manpower, 'you are looking for three things, generally, in a person: intelligence, energy, and integrity. And if they don't have the last one, don't even bother with the first two.' This assertion underscores the superior importance of integrity also referred to as public accountability. Truth be told: It takes classical self discipline and high sense of morality for someone in leadership position to keep sharp focus on things that really matters while navigating through the tempting tendencies that come with it without failing or hurting badly.

Having been on the spotlight for four good years, Hon. Wallok has substantially demostrated clear understanding of the dynamics of leadership and has tried to make a difference living the true meaning of such understanding as will be seen in this concised reflection or peer review that is before us. It is important to mention, upfront, that after serving his four years term in office, the focused legislator, on June 4, 2023, promptly brought together people from far and near for a thanksgiving service which took place at Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN), Golkung, Shiwer, his ancestral village.

The motivation for the thanksgiving service, in the estimation of the humble house member, was that it was a symbolic act of appreciation to God and his constituents. He used the platform to thank God for the great opportunity of serving Plateau people, generally, and Kanke State constituency, in particular. In the course of his representation at the state assembly, Hon. Wallok who became Deputy Majority Leader, Chairman House Committee on Finance (CHCF), Chairman House Committee on Judiciary Ethics and Privileges (CHCJEP) of the house as well as the Legal Adviser APC States' Assemblies Forum (ASAF) of Nigeria, went memory lane to to tell the poetic story of his entrance into politics as he presented the scorecard of his stewardship before the people he served.

While telling the history of his entrance into politics, he said, it can only be God that guided his truimphant inroad into the game of politics. The people's legislator recounted how he left Kano where he was staying and practicing noble law profession; his miraculous employment with the Plateau State Ministry of Justice (PLSMJ) where he made his lovely wife and, then, voluntary resignation from the state civil service after serving for three (3) years to contest for the house of assembly seat which he won landslide and was sworn into office on June 10, 2019 to serve his people.

Daring to leave a government paid job to dabble into uncertain and murky waters of politics is a clear pointer that Hon. Wallok is an adventurous man who believes in the audacity of courage.  Even though some colleagues at the PLSMJ discouraged his decision to quit, he had the guts and tempered steel to try and it paid off. Perhaps, his sourjourn at the justice ministry was just a point of contact for him to meet his heart throb, the wife he married. Who knows, some mysteries can only be fathomed by God who knows everything about us and our destinies from the beginning.

Through practical experience, Hon. Wallok who is fondly regarded as the smiling legislator pointed out that leadership in an age where people are critical is a very difficult task. Outside leadership position, any favour one extends is appreciated but in power, you hardly can satisfy everyone. In fact, the best of charity can be bilttled and thrown back at you with insult but you have no freedom to defend yourself because you are the leader, especially, in a democracy under which the social contract was signed with the people. Anyway, Hon. Wallok has long learned to come to terms with the philosophy that 'critics are the unpaid guardians of our souls', be they objective or subjective critics. Objective or constructive criticism is to a politician what mirrow is in a barber's shop. It helps in shaping the methods and moves of the politician toward becoming a celebrated servant leader.

In a social contract pact, that is, leader-followers set up, no monument can be built in honour of a subjective critic. The bad news for a subjective critics and goodnews for any objective leader which Hon. Wallok practically exemplifies, is captured in the words of former American President, Theodore Roosevelt who said: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Leadership is practical politics within the contest of service. If anything, it is about deliberate action(s) not utopian ideal which exists only in the imagination of lazy thinkers whose only joy derives from criticising others, just for the sake of it. In all honesty, Hon. Wallok acknowledges his infallability when he noted that he could not have pleased everybody but God preserved him throughout his going out and coming in. In practical humility, the house member noted that whatever he was able to do for his constituents could not have been enough because the community he served was backward and in dire need of concentrated attention from government and other development partners. He, then, presented a comprehensive catalog of his achievements in line with his primary and secondary responsibilities as a house member.

Hon wallok core-sponsoring many bills in the 9th assembly and was the main sponsor of the traditional remuneration bill which has since been passed and ascent to by the executive. Amongst the motions he moved include the motion for the completion of Kanke cottage Hospital which has now been successfully completed and commissioned; motion seeking justice for Late Rinji Bala who was sadly killed by an STF police personnel and motion for on quick resolution of Somji -Dongha community clash and was also part of all the resolutions reached the 9th assembly.

Hon. Wallok was a representative whose voice was loud towards ensuring Kanke people had full benefit of state resources and projects due to it. He tries to organise town hall meeting to keep his constituents abreast with happenings in the state. The house committee chairmanships and memberships he belonged spoke about his oversighting functions he performed in ministries and agencies of government that led to improvement in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) was and the rehabilitation of court rooms across the state.

Some of the community interventions by Hon. Wallok include successful construction and completion of 34 meters Shiwer-Golkung bridge, the first of its kind constructed by any legislator in plateau state; construction and completion of two classroom blocks at Nemel and Goktok with that of Dungyel, Garram under construction; construction of a shed at Dawaki Dog international market; renovation of a classroom and office apartment at Primary School Belbu. Others are sinking 2 motorised boreholes at Amper Central and rehabilitation of some in many communities; donation of bundles of zinc toward renovation of Gyangyang clinic as well as influencing the speedy completion of the community's access bridge; donation N200, 000.00 towards Gugur road construction; payment of counterpart funding for the construction of community library at Garram; repair of transformers at Shiwer and Munok; donation of 20 bags of cement and, also cash support towards the reconstruction of collapsed bridge at Tipik; distribution of farm inputs like fertilisers to constituents; donation of a printer to NANGS Business Centre as well as one year payment of school fees of selected secondary school student in Amper.

The legislator sponsored and supported the following skills acquisition and empowerment programmes: Training with start up capital of 300 women in the production and marketing of household products;  empowerment of 500 constituents with cash and varying items like sewing, grinding and water pumping machines; barber clippers to boost the businesses; financial support to NDA skill acquisition centre towards youth training amongst others. He also gained sizable number of permanent jobs for his constituents and was always there to support all through thick and thin. No wonder, these gestures were appreciated with many awards which include but not limited to Icon of Democracy in African by African Students Union Parliament(ASUP); Arewa Youth Council Award of Excellence; Award of Excellence by ungraded Village Heads, Kanke.

Hon. Wallok, through graces in due diligence and the fear of God, tethers the path of honour throughout his tenure. This submission is validated, also, by the rainbow of comments, accolades and goodwill messages which poured in from various community leaders and representatives of groups who spoke at the thanksgiving service. For instance, the representative of the PLSHA, Hon. Eng. Hussaini Amurudu noted that Hon. Wallok  has been a team player, trusted and dedicated law maker whose resourcefulness was brought to bare throughout the four years he held sway at the house of necessary actions and wished him well in his future engagements. The Chairman Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kanke Chapter who, also, doubled as the Chairman Regional Church Council (RCC) Dawaki of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Rev. Abner Gyikatda, also, remarked that the house member remembered  the church and carried it along in all he does, therefore, thank God for his life and wished him well too.

The representative of the forum of ungraded Village Heads of Kanke Local Government Council (LGC) and village head of Jaksham noted that, Hon. Goma Wallok kept a date with their forum and, so, said their blessings were with him. The secretary and representative of the local assembly where the honourable worships in Jos, COCIN Local Church Council (LCC) Jiyep, Elder Sati Abednego congratulated and thank God for seeing him through, noting that greater things were loading ahead.

More accolades came from the Chairman Shiwer Development Association, Nde Shedrach Golen who stated that his community celebrates Hon. Wallok as 'one of its best', maintaining that he did not disappoint neither the people of Kanke nor their community while at the state assembly, therefore, wished him better opportunities ahead. Also,  Rev. Peter Tor MSule, a consistent prayer partner of the house member thank God for his safe landing while hoping and praying that, for keeping a date with God, God was going to open another window of opportunities for greatness. The Central Planning Committee of the thanksgiving through Rev. Nanle Nenfa, the Chaplin Baptist Theological seminary, Lamingo, Jos, observed with great satisfaction and pointed out that the mystery behind Hon. Wallok's success in office was that he surrounded himself with people whose heart God had touched. For the man who has not disappointed his constituents and state, God will graciously bless!

While preaching at the thanksgiving service, Rev. Ezekiel Z. Dakup who took his text from Luke 17:11-19 pointed out that thanksgiving and gratitude to God is a must but most people hardly do it. He also noted that leadership was a great responsibility which only God can help someone to measure up and so it was a wise decision that Hon. Wallok and family took to thank God who protected, guided and provided him throughout the four years leadership. Wopinne Wallok, a son God blessed the family with during the four years in the house was dedicated to God during the thanksgiving service.

It is important to note that Hon. Barr. Wallok Phillip Goma contest to represent the people of Pankshin Kanke Kanam (PKK) in the Federal House of representatives but could not scale through the All Progressives Congress' (APC's) primary. However, he is grateful to God who has the sole power to give leadership responsibilities. Hon. Wallok asserted that there is a catalysing place of God even in political offices. Therefore, he firmly upholds the scripture that says, 'all things work for good in favour of those who believe in God.' Whatever God wills, definitely shall because He is the 'uncaused cause and the unmoved mover'!

When the end is good, the beginning could not have made any difference. The beauty of any journey is for the one who embarks on it to arrive or return safely. For four years down the line, Hon. Barr. Wallok Phillip Goma embarked on a tasking voyage of discovery in the service of Plateau and Kanke people which sometimes took him outside the shores of the country yet returned safely to the glory of God. Because nobody takes the glory of God, he is saying thank you to God for his care; thank you to Kanke people for the support and opportunity to serve them and, more importantly, apologising to communities or individuals whom his hands could not have reached. May God forever bless and empower his people and grant the people's legislator peace, now and always, amen.