Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana says the dollarisation of the economy, typified by the alleged buying of delegates during Presidential primaries of political parties last year in foreign currencies would affect the effective implementation of withdrawal limits as well as the cashless policy.
According to Falana, who appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday politics, the onus is on the government and the independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that the relevant laws are passed and implemented.
This, according to him will ensure that the dominant influence of money as well as vote buying are minimised as the culprits will be made to face the wrath of the law.
He said if the laws succeed in curtailing excess naira at the disposal of the citizens, how about the politicians who are in possession of large quantity of foreign currencies that will use same to buy vote.
He blamed the National Assembly, particularly the House of Representatives for refusing to pass the bill on electoral offences tribunal, which was passed by the senate since 2021.
The senior advocate further said that governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele has not returned to the country following allegations of terrorism financing levelled against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
“I can say without any fear of contradiction that Mr Godwin Emefiele is not in Nigeria; he hasn’t returned to the country because he has been declared wanted by the state security services,” Falana said on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
The secret police had approached an Abuja court to arrest Emefiele over alleged terrorism financing and economic crimes of national security but Justice Maryam Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory High Court Abuja quashed the move by the DSS.
The judge thereafter barred the DSS from arresting, inviting, or detaining Emefiele declaring the terrorism allegations against the CBN governor by the DSS as vindictive, callous, oppressive, void and of no effect.
He expressed surprise at the seeming silence of President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the DSS does not need a court order to arrest the CBN governor if the Service has concrete evidence against him.
He urged the DSS to proceed to arrest Emefiele upon his arrival in Nigeria, noting that the apex bank governor is not one of those constitutionally entitled to immunity in Nigeria.
Falana described as embarrassing the allegations against Emefiele by the DSS, saying this can only happen in a Banana Republic where the governor of the apex bank would be accused of a grave offence of terrorism financing.
“Has the government considered the enormous implication of the effect of a wanted governor of the central bank on the economy?
“I am completely flabbergasted that the President of the country has not intervened; either to call the state security to order or to call Mr Emefiele to return to the country or be fired,” the senior lawyer said.
He recalled that Emefiele’s predecessor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was also accused of terrorism financing in 2014 but won the case.
“These guys play on our collective intelligence because they know we are very forgetful. In 2014, his (Emefiele’s) immediate predecessor, former Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, was equally accused of terrorism financing.
“In the same way, he (Sanusi) also travelled out of the country to attend a meeting with the governors of the central banks of West Africa in Niamey, Niger Republic.
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“As soon as he landed in Lagos, he was arrested, his passport was seized,” Falana said.
The senior lawyer said Sanusi won the case and the court awarded N50m compensation in favour of Sanusi.
Falana stressed that the allegation of terrorism financing against Emefiele should not be dismissed.
