Buhari, Emefiele and Tinubu.
Nigerians are very forgiving people. But they are unlikely to forgive Muhammadu Buhari, the immediate past president of Nigeria and the man he retained as governor of the country's central bank in a hurry. Like a jolt from the blues, Tinubu, the president, through his Secretary to the Government, George Akume released a piece of news, first that Godwin Emefiele had been suspended which was immediately followed by another announcement that Mr. Folashodun Shonubi has been appointed in an acting capacity. Mr Shonubi is a deputy governor at the bank before the announcement. Immediately after that came another news reports that Mr. Godwin Emefiele had been arrested by the operatives of the Directorate of Security Service, DSS, though yet unverified.
Emefiele had made himself an enemy of Nigerians by many wrong policies, especially his cash swap which many thinkers believe was targeted against Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the new president. Tinubu is acclaimed to be a big spender in politics. One of his friends and an acolyte of Muhammadu Buhari, Babachir Lawal once said "Tinubu made his money in politics and spends it in politics," whatever that meant because politics for those who are public-spirited is not an avenue to make money. But Nigeria has its own ways; people go to public service to do just one thing: enrich themselves, their families, and their cronies. Anyhow, Buhari feared Bola Tinubu. He also feared his dexterity in politics. He feared Tinubu's huge war chest. Tinubu was not Buhari's choice for replacement. When Buhari told an interviewer that he had a candidate he wants to win the election that will replace him, it was very clear to discerning observers that Tinubu was not this candidate. Buhari's mind was on Ahmed Lawan, the president of the Senate, a northern Muslim. The preference was thought to be a design to Islamize Nigeria.
At the onset, Buhari did not campaign for Tinubu who was the APC candidate. It took pressure for him to put up a semblance of appearance at a few of Tinubu's campaigns. Tinubu made up by constantly maintaining that he would continue the policies of Buhari if he won this election. Tinubu's promise to do this did not persuade careful observers who saw it as a mere fence-mending posture because Buhari had no policy worthy of being called good. Even recently, The Nation, a national daily owned by Tinubu reported that Buhari's eight years was a great flop, the first time since the Buhari -Tinubu political romance began in 2015. After Buhari left and Tinubu ascended to power, the newspaper found its voice and told the truth it had denied for eight years.
Now firmly in power, Tinubu is baring his fangs. He cannot but do that. Buhari left all liabilities without a single asset notwithstanding that Tinubu said in a recent meeting with the APC governors who met with him that he inherited assets and liabilities. Observers rather read the lips of Tinubu putting more weight on the liability side of the Buhari administration. Buhari was all liability. If Tinubu will succeed, he must face up to the reality that his predecessor was an unmitigated failure and he would have to take tough decisions if he would not step over the many land mines laid for him. The land mines were not deliberate but a necessary accompaniment of Buhari's lack of capacity to govern. His works minister, Babatunde Raji Fashola who had served Tinubu as Chief of Staff while Tinubu was governor in Lagos State drew a parallel between Buhari and Tinubu. While Buhari will be with you at the drawing stage of your work for him, he leaves you completely to achieve what was set for you. For Tinubu, not only will he draw your objectives with you, he will not leave you to yourself, but stay with you till the objectives are achieved. In other words, Buhari delegates and abdicates, while Tinubu delegates he does not abdicate. Buhari said toward the end of his administration that he could not sit for more than six hours; Tinubu was reported to leave the office at about 8 pm recently. Those who have worked with him say he is a nocturnal person. Tinubu works all night, but Buhari sleeps all night.
So, in just eight years, Buhari pulled Nigeria more than three decades back. The economy was ruined. Schools, especially universities got shut more than they opened for teaching. Prices of food shot beyond the roof, and Nigerians are groaning to the extent that when Buhari apologized for hurting them, a section of Nigerians answered him that those who were hurt had died. They died of hunger and in countless killings at the hands of bandits. The four refineries at Warri, Port Harcourt, and Kaduna never worked for eight years yet the staff were paid and even promoted. Days ahead will reveal humongous sums of money stolen by Buhari's ministers under his watch. Buhari had hardly left before allegations of deep corruption surfaced concerning his aviation minister. The former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika had spent about 139 billion naira on Air Nigeria which was not and will never be. The legislature has asked for a probe.
Though the news of the suspension and alleged arrest of Godwin Emefiele broke at about 10 pm, the news immediately got the attention of social media. In my count, not one comment of the news was positive to Emefiele. It can't be. Under instruction that many Nigeria believe had come from Buhari using Emefiele as a front, Nigerians’ money had been locked in the banks. Despite the appeal of many well-meaning Nigerians, Emefiele refused to lift the order. Nigerians had to buy the new currency to survive. Many died in banks. Some stripped themselves naked when the hope of getting a little as the 10,000.00 Naira became dashed. Tinubu himself had to confront the government over the policy. He pointed out that whatever may be done against him, he would contest the election and win, people will vote even if it means walking long distances to exercise their rights because fuel was not available and even if it was available, there was no money to buy it.
When the DSS arrested Emefiele on the allegation that he was funding terrorists, he got an administrative bail on the excuse that he was sick. But his hospital was Buhari rural town of Daura in Katsina State where the ex-president goes on many of his rests leaving vital state matters unattended to. Buhari told him to go back to his job fearing nobody. Who dare face dictator Buhari; DSS left Emefiele off the hook. But with Buhari out of the way, Tinubu has ordered an investigation of the CBN and told Nigerians to expect an overhaul of Nigeria's financial sector. More holocaust is coming, even if Tinubu's credentials for probing corruption is anything but impeccable. He seems to have no other route but to tinker with the nonsense he inherited if he will make any headway of steering Nigeria to progress again. For Nigerians, Godwin Emefiele's ouster is good riddance to bad rubbish, as Americans will say it.
Tunde Akande is both a journalist and pastor. He earned a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos.