Naira redesign: Governors summon Emefiele
…As deadline for old notes draws close
…CBN Gov to appear before court over $53m Paris Club refund judgment debt
The 36 State Governors of the Federation under the aegis of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) have summoned the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele over the redesign of new naira notes of the country.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal in an invitation to the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mr Godwin Emiefele said that he should attend a virtual meeting on Thursday, the 19th of January 2022 at 9:00pm prompt.
A statement by NGF Head of Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo read, “Issuing the invitation, the Nigeria Governors Forum Director General, Mr Asishana Bayo Okauru said the agenda is on the recent CBN policy of redesigning the Naira Notes.
“The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele had announced the initial decision of the Apex Bank to redesign the Naira note, on October 26, 2022, and Nigeria’s Apex Bank urged Nigerians not to wait until January 31, 2023, to get the new notes.
“For the virtual meeting, the agenda is titled ‘The Economic and Security implications of naira redesign and withdrawal policy,’ and it has lingered for some time now.
“The discussion promises to foster participation and dialogue between various stakeholders including governments and civil society organisations to come out with a solution to the lingering issue.”
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Abuja has also summoned Emefiele over a $53 million judgment debt arising from the Paris Club refund.
In an application for garnishee made on October 20, 2022, Justice Inyang Ekwo, ordered Emefiele to appear on Wednesday, January 18 as the hearing date for the matter.
Prior, on January 23, 2020, the court ruled that Emefiele must appear “to be examined on oath touching the means you have or have had, since the date of the said garnishee order absolute, to pay the balance of $53 million now due and payable under the said garnishee order absolute and also show cause why you should not be committed to prison for default in payment of the said sum.”
The order followed the application by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joe Agi, against Linas International Ltd, the Minister of Finance and the CBN through his lawyers, Isaac Ekpa and Chinonso Obasi.
The applicants were seeking an order directing the Inspector General of Police to arrest Emefiele and bring him to court alongside his lawyers – Damian Dodo, Audu Anuga, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and Ginika Ezeoke, Jessica Iyoke, Abdullahi Afolayan and Olayemi Afolayan.
The suit stemmed from an alleged $70 million judgment against Linas over the lawyer’s services in the Paris Club refund.
The CBN governor was said to have left an outstanding amount of $53 million having only released $17 million.
