Emefiele: Group backs DSS, insists Naira redesign ill-motivated

The Concerned Northern Forum has stated that the recent action of the Department of State Service (DSS) on the Governor of the  Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, has vindicated its earlier position that naira redesign was not in the interest of Nigeria.

Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, Friday, spokesperson of the Forum, Comrade AbdulSalam Mohammed Kazeem, said the “the revelations by Hon. Mohammed Gudaji Kazaure and the Department of State Security on the person of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Emefiele Godwin has vindicated us.

“It is disheartening that even CSOs in the North and others across the nation are already twisting and distorting facts contained in the report by Nigeria’s foremost and most credible intelligence agency, the DSS against Mr Godwin Emefiele.

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“Concerned Northern Forum is a coalition of over 73 Civil Society Organizations in Northern Nigeria. Recall that earlier in November our organization came out to say there were motives behind the redesigning of some denominations of the Nigerian currency, which informed our stand against the policy. Barely a month now, many revelations are beginning to spring up to vindicate us and our earlier claims that the redesigning is not in the interest of Nigerians but to satisfy a few unpatriotic Nigerians.

“The DSS headed by its impeccable Director General, Malam Yusuf Magaji Bichi has in the time past thwarted several security breaches with credible intelligence gathering and sharing amongst sister security agencies. To accuse a credible security outfit like DSS of falsifying its intelligence regarding the activities of Emefiele is unpatriotic.

“At a time when the country is having financial crisis including spiralling inflation and unemployment, is it not curious that the CBN is accused of spending 58.6 billion naira to print 2.5 billion naira notes? The cost of printing money can’t be more than the value of the money by almost 50%. The whole idea of resigning and reprinting may have been a hoax to hoard and launder money without alerting Nigerians.

“So, we therefore resolve as follows: That the DSS should immediately appeal the Federal High Court injunction and go ahead with their planned arrest of Mr. Emefiele since it’s in the interest of national security. As patriots, we won’t takes sides with those calling for the sack of the DSS boss but rather ask that he should be allowed to carry out his duties without interference by anybody especially when it comes to the issue of national security.”