Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has said that he is having fun while some people were having heart attack over his 2023 presidential bid.
Emefiele stated this after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja yesterday.
Recall that the president had advised political appointees desirous of running for elective offices to resign on or before May 16, 2022.
However, hours after the secretary to government of the federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, issued a circular directing heads of government agencies with political ambitions to also resign, the CBN governor was a guest at the villa where he met with Buhari behind closed doors.
When asked by journalists to talk about the outcome of his meeting with the president and the speculation over his alleged resignation, Emefiele said: “I’m having fun at the scenario. Let them have heart attack. It’s good to have heart attack. I am having a lot of fun.’’
Although the CBN governor was evasive, NAN quoted a source as saying that Emefiele had informed the president of his intention to continue in office as CBN governor instead of vying for the All Progressives Congress’s presidential ticket in 2023 general elections.
The source, according to NAN, said the CBN governor had finally decided to concentrate on his official job of safeguarding and transforming the nation’s economy.
Meanwhile, a federal government’s circular, dated May 11, 2022, with Ref. No.SGF/OP/l/S.3/Xll/173, has directed certain categories of civil and public servants who have political ambition to resign.
The letter signed by Mustapha was addressed to all serving ministers, head of the civil service of the federation, national security adviser, chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service and heads of extra-ministerial departments, directors-general/chief executive officers of parastatals, agencies and government-owned companies among others.
In the circular, Mustapha stated that the president had observed and noted the expression of interest and intention by some members of the Federal Executive Council, Heads of Extra-Ministerial departments, agencies, parastatals of government, ambassadors and other political office holders to contest the upcoming presidential, gubernatorial, National and State Assemblies’ elections.
He said the president had directed that the affected office holders aspiring to run for various offices in the 2023 General Elections, should tender their resignation on or before Monday, May 16, 2022.
Mustapha said for smooth running of the machinery of government and the country’s foreign missions, the affected ministers are to hand over to the ministers of state where they exist or to the permanent secretary, where there is no minister of state.
Also all ambassadors are to hand over to their deputy heads of mission or the most senior foreign service officer in line with established practices.
“Similarly, heads of extra-ministerial departments, agencies and parastatals are to hand over to the most senior director/officer as may be peculiar to the organisation, in line with the service wide Circular No. SGF.50/S. Il/C.2/268 of 4th December, 2017,” the circular added.
