Ohanaeze condemns Emefiele’s suspension, sees it as witch hunting

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, on Saturday, condemned the suspension of Godwin Emefiele as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

President Bola Tinubu on Friday, approved the suspension of Emefiele as Governor of the apex bank over “an ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the Nigerian economy.”

Reacting to the development on Saturday, Ohanaeze Ndigbo in a statement issued by its Director on Matters of National Interest, Chima Uzor, described Emefiele’s suspension as ethnic cleansing.

Faulting the President’s action, the group observed that Emefiele’s suspension did not follow due process, adding that the decision was part of the current administration’s deliberate efforts aimed at alienating the Igbos from public offices.

It cautioned the President against actions capable of driving an already shaking nation into chaos.

The statement reads: “The Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo Worldwide hereby condemns in its entirety the suspension of Dr Godwin Emefiele, the CBN Governor by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“To say the least, this suspension is without due process and the arrest despite court order against DSS from arresting him is provocative and well-meaning Nigerians must resist it and ensure that it does not stand.

“We view the development as clearly part of the new administration’s scheme of ethnic cleansing of the Igbos from public offices.

“This is nothing but a witch hunting directed at the Igbos for no other reason other than they dared to oppose the new administration in the last general elections.

“We are, therefore, asking President Bola Tinubu to beware of starting his administration with actions capable of driving an already shaking nation into chaos.

“He should be humble enough to rescind this unpopular decision and allow Dr Emefiele to complete his term as the governor of the apex bank instead of rocking the boat and destroying all the reforms that were carried out by the CBN under Emefiele’s leadership.”