The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, a staunch ally of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to issue a warrant of arrest on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and bank directors over their collective failure to honour an invite to appear before the green chamber over scarcity of three newly designed naira notes.
Gbajabiamila said instead of the House adjourning plenary till February 28 for the elections as was originally planned, the lawmakers would reconvene on Tuesday to take an action against Emefiele and other bank chiefs who failed to show up.
The Speaker claimed that Emefiele is his friend, but that he would not hesitate to demand the Inspector-General of Police to effect the CBN governor’s arrest and forceful appearance before the House.
Recall that at a rally on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Mr. Tinubu said that the Naira redesign was aimed at sabotaging his election victory.
The House had summoned the CBN and bank directors over the January 31, 2023 deadline for the validity of old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes but the apex bank and managing directors of commercial banks failed to honour the invitation by the green chamber.
Chairman of the committee, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, at the plenary on Thursday, informed the House about the non-appearance of the CBN chiefs before it on Wednesday. He noted that the committee had rescheduled the meeting to 1 pm on Thursday.
But Gbajabiamila also informed the House that the CBN had written to the Clerk, informing the House of Emefiele’s inability to appear before the committee on Thursday.
The Speaker said the House would exercise its powers as contained in Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution.
CHECKPOINTCHARLEY 