February 12, (THEWILL) – A coalition of civil and pressure groups, The Green Alliance Movement (GAM), has called on the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Godwin Emefiele, to immediately declare his interest to vie for the 2023 presidency.
The Coalition is made up of over 30 civil rights and pressure groups from across the nation, whose representatives attended the meeting.
The group during a press conference and meeting held in Lagos on Saturday, appealed to Emiefele to heed its call and come out, use his capacity and managerial acumen to save Nigeria from the present quagmire.
The convener of the movement, Wale Fapounda, said that the alliance was a gathering of interest groups whose intention was to beg Emefiele and if possible compel him to run as President in 2023.
The Coalition also claimed that the CBN governor is aware of global economic development, which would lead him to accept the party’s proposal to run for president under the platform of the All Progressives Congress banner.
Dr Emefiele was trained as a banker, economist and financial analyst at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Stanford University (USA), Harvard University (USA) and Wharton School of Business (USA).
Speaking on behalf of the groups, Fapounda said, “Since he was appointed the governor of the CBN, he has spent his energy in building a resilient financial system that can serve the growth and development needs of the Nigerian economy.
“A typical example of this was seen during his first term, he supervised an interventionist currency policy at the behest of the presidency, propping up the Nigerian Naira by pumping billions of dollars into the foreign exchange market. He also introduced a multiple exchange rate regime to try to mask pressure on the Naira and avoid a series of devaluations.
“He has engineered bank policies and programmes that have supported job creation and fostered inclusive growth, in addition to key macroeconomic concerns such as inflation and exchange rate stability.”
Fapounda added, “He has worked closely with the country’s fiscal authorities to ensure economic stability in Nigeria with its intervention in critical sectors of the Nigerian economy.
“He has come up with new strategies to navigate the Nigerian economy through hurdles such as the challenge of foreign exchange inflow, the exchange rate, the economic recession, stagflation, financial inclusion and the rise in the value chain of the majority of crops in Nigeria.”
The convener said that in spite of the scathing criticism from some analysts, who argue that the bank has gone beyond its monetary policy mandate by delving into developmental issues which the CBN Act 2007 as amended recognises, Dr Emiefele has remained committed to the patriotic goals of ensuring economic stability through the Bank’s numerous interventions.
“Some persons will challenge the choice of Dr Emiefiele on the basis that a sound understanding of economic policies alone is not enough to run a country as diverse as Nigeria. Therefore, I think it is imperative to list some of Dr Emiefele’s achievements, which are not exclusively tied to his roles and office as the CBN governor.
“Specifically, he has inspired the rice revolution through his famous Anchor Borrower’s Programme (ABP), which has led to a near-zero importation of rice into the country”, he said.
Fapounda maintained that his intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic has saved Nigeria from trouble, pointing out that even though Emefiele hasn’t declared his interest, but Nigerians want a round peg in a round hole.
“He also introduced a multiple exchange rate regime to try to mask pressure on the Naira and avoid a series of devaluations. He has engineered bank policies and programmes that has supported job creation and fostered inclusive growth, in addition to key macro economic concerns such as inflation and exchange rate stability
“Ladies and gentlemen, join me in echoing Emiefele RUN! RUN!! RUN!!!”
The co-founder of the movement, Barr Akin Osomo said that the essence of the programme was to get other Nigerians to support the group’s aspiration to have a technocrat like the CBN governor handle the country, because he has handled the economy.
“He is a detrabilised Nigerian, a man of many parts who understands global economic growth. Going by his achievements from the agric sector, anchor borrowers. He is a Nigerian, who can be trusted”, he concluded.
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