Senate President Godswill Akpabio claims the allegations against Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), are so numerous that the federal government is unsure which charges to level against him.
Akpabio made the remarks on Sunday during a thanksgiving service organised by Senator Barinada Mpigi. Mpigi is representing the Rivers South-East Senatorial District.
Akpabio also blamed the country’s economic woes on “they took” policies and actions.
He did not explain who “they” are.
Akpabio went on to say that the current hunger and economic hardship result from nearly 60 years of rot.
He urged Nigerians to be patient, promising the current administration would keep the promises they “campaigned and danced” around the country for.
Akpabio said:
“So the kind of debt and the economic mess that we are in… and lots of people do not understand.”
“I remember President Obama saying you cannot know Washington until you get to Washington. So by the time we went in to look at the country’s economic situation, it was terrible.
“So you know that the former governor of the central bank, we don’t even know what to charge him with.
“Whether to charge him for putting foam on top of a pail, or to charge him for illegal possession of firearms, or to charge him for printing notes without income. I don’t know what we’re going to charge him with.
“But what we know is that yes, there is hunger today because of the kind of policies and actions that they took and we recognise that, and I think every political party should recognise that there is hunger and we’re battling to ensure that Nigerians can sleep with their eyes closed.
“There is insecurity. We’re battling to ensure Nigerians can eat three square meals a day.
“But rest assured that we campaigned for this job, we campaigned and danced around the country. We will not let you down.
“We will get to the bottom of it. All we need is patience. The rot that has happened in Nigeria for so many years, for almost 60 years, cannot be solved in six months. So what we need is patience… patience from all quarters.”
Dave Umahi, Minister of Works; Martin Amaewhule, Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly; and other dignitaries attended the event, which was held in Koroma, Tai LGA of Rivers.