Godwin Emefiele, the embattled former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has sued Senate President Godswill Akpabio for N1 billion in damages for defamation.
In a letter dated February 19, 2024, Matthew Burkaa, Emefiele’s attorney, criticized an Akpabio comment attributed to Emefiele on February 18, 2024, saying, “We don’t know what to charge Emefiele with.”
Through his attorney, Emefiele stated that he thought Akpabio’s remark was “false, distorted, clearly aimed at disparaging his character and indeed made in bad faith.”
During a Sunday thank-you service in Koroma, Tai Local Government Area, Rivers State, the Senate President stated that Emefiele left the Nigerian economy in disarray and that the Federal Government was unsure of what charges to bring against the former head of the country’s top bank during the storm.
The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria is presently being investigated by the President Bola Tinubu administration’s anti-graft body, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Contrary to Akpabio’s assertion, according to Burkaa, the Federal Government has been pressing charges against Emefiele since August 14, 2023, and his client has entered a not guilty plea to the related accusations.
In his letter to Akpabio, Burkaa said, “Your statement attributing the present economic woes of the country solely on Our Client is most appalling and exposes the inaccuracies in Your assertions, especially, as you were a major player in the immediate Past Administration and worked closely with Our Client and indeed witnessed the innovations he introduced in the banking sector and its impact on the economy whilst in office, as well as the role he played despite all odds in salvaging Nigeria in the P & ID Saga and the positive result it brought for Nigeria.”
“You are also aware that no single policy was carried out by Our Client without the approval, directive or authorization of the President and/or the Federal Executive Council of which you were a key and powerful member.
“These baseless and false allegations clearly defames the character of Our Client and has also caused him great pains and embarrassment as it has lowered his esteem before the right thinking members of the Society in addition to the obvious odium and opprobrium from the unsuspecting members of the Society as a result of the falsity contained in that statement.
“We therefore have Our Client’s further instruction to demand from you an unreserved apology in writing, published and circulated by the same medium with which you have defamed his character and the sum of One Billion Naira (N1,000,000,000) as reasonable compensation for the willful and unjustifiable denigration of his hard earned reputation.
“In the event that you fail, refuse or neglect to comply with this legitimate demand, Our Client will be at liberty to seek the appropriate redress available to him under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”