Economists and civil society organisations have welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of a special investigator to investigate the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, and other Government Business Entities.

The experts and groups in separate interviews on Sunday said the investigation was necessary to ascertain if there were any infractions or alleged abuse of office by the suspended CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and other top government officials.

Their comments came on the heels of Tinubu’s appointment of the former Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Jim Obazee, as Special Investigator to probe the CBN, NNPCL, and other Government Business Entities.

President Tinubu directed the special investigator to collaborate with security and anti-corruption agencies to provide a comprehensive report on public wealth currently in the hands of corrupt individuals and establishments, whether private or public.

According to the letter, the appointment takes immediate effect and the investigator is to report directly to the President on a weekly basis.

It was gathered that other GBEs the probe would cover include the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited and the FRCN.

This development came barely a week after Emefiele was arraigned in court for illegal possession of firearms and granted bail, but the Department of State Services rearrested him.

The President, in the letter which he personally signed, said the move was in continuation of the government’s anti-corruption fight.

The letter, dated July 28, 2023, read, “In accordance with the fundamental objective set forth in section 15(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), this administration is, today, continuing the fight against corruption by appointing you as a Special Investigator, to investigate the CBN and Related Entities. This appointment shall be with immediate effect and you are to report directly to my office.

“The full terms of your engagement as Special Investigator shall be communicated to you in due course but require that you immediately take steps to ensure the strengthening and probity of key Government Business Entities, further block leakages in CBN and related GBEs and provide a comprehensive report on public wealth currently in the hands of corrupt individuals and establishments (whether private or public).

“You are to investigate the CBN and related entities using a suitably experienced, competent, and capable team and work with relevant security and anti-corruption agencies to deliver on this assignment. I shall expect a weekly briefing on the progress being made.”

The president also attached a copy of his directive suspending Godwin Emefiele as Governor of the CBN on June 9, 2023.

Groups react

Meanwhile, experts and groups in separate interviews with The PUNCH on Sunday said the investigation was necessary to ascertain if there were any infractions or abuse of office by the suspended CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Muda Yusuf, said that the investigation had become necessary to ascertain if there were any infractions or abuse of office.

He said, “It is a new administration, and if there is any reason to suspect that the case has not been managed well, the only way to get the facts out is through the normal audit and maybe a forensic audit. It is not out of place.

‘’If there is any suspicion of abuse of office, the normal thing is to do a forensic examination to ascertain whether there was any infraction or abuse of office. You need to get the facts before you can take action against anybody. That is what it is.”

Also, a professor of Economics at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Prof Sheriffdeen Tella, also supported the investigation.

He said, “Any investigation is worth it. There is a need for investigation to determine the transparency and accountability of their job and to ensure that they have been working in the context of corporate etiquette. So, there is nothing wrong with the investigation at all.”

An economist with the School of Management and Social Sciences, Pan-Atlantic University, Prof Bright Eregha, observed that the Federal Government might have ordered the probe because it felt the apex bank did not perform well or stick to its mandate.

He added that the probe would also be extended to other government enterprises such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and other entities, stressing that the investigation might restore confidence in the system.

Eregha said, “Knowing fully well that the CBN ought to be an independent body, however, we see in the last government, that independence was not really there in terms of the CBN governor not being involved with political issues.

“We saw what transpired in terms of his affiliation and moves. And then, there is the issue of the Naira redesign. I think this government just thought that the CBN is not doing well regarding the sanctity of the central bank in terms of its independence. So they felt a need to do a number of investigations.

‘’Don’t also forget that the CBN in the past has been involved in a lot of financial support to several sectors. I think the current government felt that for us to move forward, they need to investigate.

“That investigation is not only on CBN, it is also looking at other financial institutions. I’m also thinking it will go beyond the financial institutions to companies like the NNPC and all these places that we need to investigate to restore some level of confidence in Nigeria.’’

But the Chairman of the Foundation for Economic Research and Training, Professor Akpan Ekpo, expressed worries that the audit of the apex bank might send the wrong signals to potential investors.

He, however, maintained that the President might have his reasons for ordering the probe.

He stated, ‘’My worry is that to have made the audit of the central bank so open will send wrong signals to potential investors; foreign investors, who will start wondering whether our apex bank has serious problems. That is my take

“But as a president, maybe he knows what we don’t know. When you start probing your apex bank, then you send a wrong signal in terms of the direction of the economy and in terms of what will happen going forward. Already, there is a challenge with getting investors to come in and there is a challenge with our forex reserve. It is depleting every day.’’

On the choice of the special investigator, Ekpo said, “I don’t know him but I wish he had sent someone completely neutral.”

CACOL, others comment

The Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, said Obazee must investigate the monetary policy of the suspended governor of the Central Bank, and the illegality of the redesign of the naira note, noting that the former CBN boss should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity if it is found that the implementation of the policy had political undertones.

Adeniran noted, “They should investigate how the former Governor of the CBN changed the Nigerian monetary policy and the illegality that was perpetrated when he didn’t do due diligence before he changed the colour of the naira. We need to see whether he had good reasons for changing the colour of the naira or otherwise because basically, the naira doesn’t have a problem. It is the monetary policy that he put in place that could have been the problem.

“They should look at the monetary policy he implemented, and if there is any political undertone, for the implementation, or the changing of the colour of the naira without recourse to due process, and if he were to be politicking with the lives of Nigerians, then he should be seen to have committed a crime against humanity.

The Executive Chairman of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, said the appointment showed the laxity of agencies of government such as the National Assembly, who should ideally checkmate activities of government, adding that anyone discovered to have looted public funds should be prosecuted and banned from holding public office

“We commend the effort to recover every looted fund from every looter. So, we are calling on the administration of Bola Tinubu to ensure that everyone that has done something wrong must be not only investigated, but also if there is any evidence of looting or stealing public funds, the monies must be returned, and those people must be barred from holding public offices. We hope that this probe would be carried out without any political consideration or cover-up,’’ he counseled.

Credit: The Punch