By Halimah Opeyemi
Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Mattawale, on Monday raised fresh alarm over alleged plots by some officials of the outgoing Muhammadu Buhari administration to frustrate the incoming president, Bola Tinubu.
Mattawale, in a special appeal to the president a copy of which was made available to the NPO Reports, said while Buhari has demonstrated enough faith in ensuring smooth transfer of power, some officials and appointees in his administration are working against this.
The governor alleged, “They are behaving as if they want to put spanners in the work for the incoming regime. President Buhari should not allow this. He should frown on any attempt by any person seeking to damage the good job he has done.
“This is the import of this press statement today. I want, here and now, to urge President Buhari to not approve any study leave or whatever kind of leave for any officer critical to the take-off of the incoming administration of Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Emefiele Wants to Evade Rendering Accounts – Mattawale
Specifically, the Governor’s statement listed the Governor of Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, whom he said is seeking a study leave abroad as a way to evade rendering accounts.
“My plea with President Muhammadu Buhari to halt all study leaves, foreign transfers, postings of officers critical to take-off of incoming administration,” he said.
He advised the president to cancel all applications for leave it it had been granted adding this is “in the interest of peaceful transfer of power, accountability and good governance.” He said Emefiele superintended over the management of the country’s financial and monetary systems.
“He is the one who initiated and implemented the recent disastrous Naira swap policy, the Naira confiscation program, which put Nigerians through untold woes and trauma and set our economy backwards.
“Two of my brother-governors and I took the Federal Government to court over this ill-advised policy and fought resolutely until we got a respite for our people from Emefiele and company.
“This same Emefiele now wants to proceed on study leave when he has some 10 months left of his tenure apparently in a bid to evade rendering accounts. This is unacceptable. President Buhari should not countenance this. Emefiele must stay at his job to give full accounts of all that transpired under his watch to the incoming administration. He must answer all the questions the new regime may have for him particularly when he still has some months left of his tenure.”
Stop All Foreign Postings for Now
In his statement, Mattawale also said he is aware other officials of the government are seeking foreign postings.
“I’m aware that some officers in the outgoing government are moving to surreptitiously leave the country at this critical time they are needed to answer to specific questions, though I would not want mention their names here.
“President Buhari should not heed their inordinate and unpatriotic plan. These plans are dangerous and devilish.
“They show clearly that these officers have something to hide. This must be halted immediately. Any plan to evade rendering accounts is neither in the interest of accountability, transparency and anti-corruption, which President Buhari had championed in government, nor in the interest of an unencumbered take-off of the incoming administration. It’s also not in the interest of the country, which the president has always promoted and championed. This is my appeal and why I have decided to speak out as a patriotic Nigerian and concerned governor.”
In his statement, Mattawale said the president has been faithful adding that there are enough indications the President has no problems with handing over power to Tinubu.
“Beyond the remarkable achievements of his administration in all sectors, President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated that he is a patriot, democrat and a man of impeccable integrity and character. Perhaps more than ever before, this has been on display even in the twilight of his administration. President Buhari has about two weeks left of his eventful tenure,” he said
He cited instances of the president’s family moving out of their residence at Aso Rock Presidential Villa into the Glass House within the the Presidential Villa.
He added, “And we witnessed an astonishingly respectable spectacle of First Lady Aisha Buhari taking Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, round the Presidential Villa, their soon-to-be- abode.
“President Buhari and his wife Aisha Buhari have shown good faith and shown they want a seamless orderly and peaceful transfer of power to the incoming administration. They are eager to ensure that the new regime takes off smoothly and speedily and in a manner devoid of any encumbrance in the interest of our country. This is the right thing to do and I commend President Buhari and his wife for their statesmanly conduct.
The President and his wife have demonstrated good faith. “