The least may not have been heard about how “Aso Rock” used the erstwhile Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emiefele to soothe the untamed financial appetite of Dangote, Bua, and those linked to the powers that be within the corridors of power.
This follows a new revelation on how the then Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, through former Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun ordered the erstwhile Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emiefele to release the sum of N5,865,671,389.29 to Dangote, Floormill Nigeria, Bua Group, Golden Agri Input, and Wacot Limited under the guise of providing food to the internally displaced persons IDPs within the North-East Region.
According to a letter from the then Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun addressed to Godwin Emiefele dated 2nd June,2017, with Ref. No. HMF/FMF/CBN/FOOD/1/2017, directing him to release the said fund to the following beneficiaries: (1) Dangote Rice Ltd, Zenith Bank Account No 1014006586. Amount: N936,196,800 (2) Golden Agri Inputs Limited, GTbank Account No. 0198931211. Amount: N1,384,554,236.26. (3) Bua Rice Ltd, Sterling Bank Account No 0062487976. Amount N1,322,273,520. WACCOT Limited on the other hand received the sum of N453,674,296 and N939,946,081 into her First Bank Account No 2006409434 and Zenith Bank Account No 1010592718 respectively.
Recall that Godwin Emiefele has been under investigation for his reckless mismanagement of national funds when he held sway as the Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank.
His tenure as the CBN governor was characterised by the diversion of funds through cronies, especially the political associates of former President Muhammadu Buhari and others on the good books of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Many believe that the reckless mismanagement of the economy and finances led to the current economic depression that Nigerians are facing.
To ensure that some of these diverted funds are returned to the national treasury, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu hired a private investigator, Jim Obazee to dig up the whereabouts of funds looted from the national treasury.