Presidency denies knowledge of President Buhari granting study leave to CBN governor Emefiele
The Presidency has denied knowledge of reports claiming that President Muhammadu Buhari granted study leave to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, confirmed that the President’s secretariat headed by the Chief of Staff was not aware of any such decision.
Shehu told Daily Trust, “If the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has been granted study leave supposedly by President Muhammadu Buhari, this is unknown to us. It is also unknown to the President’s secretariat headed by the Chief of Staff.”
The denial follows an online news report by SaharaReporters alleging that Emefiele had been granted study leave to evade corruption and terrorism-financing allegations against him and to avoid the inauguration of President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29.
It added that the opportunity for Emefiele to flee the country before Buhari leaves office comes amid corruption and terrorism-financing allegations against him.
The online news medium said the country’s secret police, the Department of State Services, which made futile attempts to arrest and detain Emefiele in the past over the damning allegations against him, was not happy about the prospect of seeing the CBN governor evade justice.
Emefiele, who made an attempt to secure the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, was accused by Tinubu of introducing the Naira redesign and cashless policy through the CBN to sabotage his presidential ambition.
