On Sunday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio asserted that the administration led by Bola Tinubu inherited a challenging economic situation from former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele. Akpabio, speaking at Senator Barinada Mpigi’s Thanksgiving service in Koroma, Tai Local Government Area, Rivers State, characterized the economic state left by Emefiele as “terrible.”
Akpabio humorously remarked that they were unsure about what charges to bring against Emefiele, quipping, “We did not even know what to charge him with – whether for putting foam on top of the bill, illegal firearm possession, printing notes without income. I don’t know what we are going to charge him with.”
The Senate President attributed the current economic challenges and hunger to past policies. He acknowledged the existence of hunger in the country and emphasized the commitment to addressing it: “But what we can say is that yes there is hunger today because of the policies and actions that they took, and we recognize that, and I think every political party should recognize that there is hunger.”
Akpabio assured Nigerians of ongoing efforts to improve security and living standards but appealed for patience, highlighting the complexity of addressing decades-long issues in a short period: “Yes, there is insecurity; we are battling to ensure that Nigerians can take three square meals a day. But be rest assured that we campaigned for this job; we campaigned around the country; we will not let you down; we will get to the bottom of it; all we need is your patience. That rots that have happened in Nigeria for so many years for almost 60 years—cannot be solved in six months.”
Meanwhile, Godwin Emefiele, who was removed from his position as CBN governor by Tinubu in June 2023, is facing accusations from the Federal Government related to financial crimes. The criminal charges, initially six counts, were revised on January 18, expanding to 20 counts. These charges include criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to conduct forgery, procurement fraud, and conspiracy to commit a felony. Despite these legal proceedings, Akpabio maintained the government’s dedication to rectifying the economic and national situation.
