Former President Muhammadu Buhari has provided insights into why he retained Godwin Emefiele as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) when he assumed office in 2015.
Buhari’s revelations were shared in a memoir titled “Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015 – 2023),” authored by his former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
Contrary to the widespread expectation that political appointees from the previous administration would be dismissed, Buhari chose not to remove Emefiele without concrete evidence against him. The former President highlighted that the Naira redesign policy initiated by Emefiele played a crucial role in achieving a clean general election in 2023.
In the book’s chapter 12, Buhari stated, “I met Emefiele in office when I came, and unless there was firm evidence against him, it would be unfair and an act of injustice to remove him, acting on hearsay.”
Buhari emphasized the importance of fairness and the impact of unjust actions on individuals, expressing his concern for the morale of those serving with him. He acknowledged that his decision was based on evidence and a commitment to justice.
“If you punish a man unjustly, it could dog his footsteps throughout life, so if you would punish, you must have evidence, and you should know that yourself wouldn’t be there forever. You would leave one day,” Buhari explained.
Regarding the naira redesign policy, the former President asserted, “There is no denying that the naira redesign policy gave us cleaner elections. It was people who had too much money that had problems with it.”
The memoir also revealed instances of individuals holding substantial amounts of cash during the scarcity of new notes. Buhari’s stance on Emefiele’s involvement in the 2023 presidency campaign was also highlighted, emphasizing the need for transparency in leadership.
The former President concluded by stating, “I’m very conscious of fairness. When he was linked with the campaign for the 2023 presidency, I did not ask him, because he told nobody he was getting involved. Otherwise, I would have removed him and told the nation why.”
