Constitutional Democracy Initiative (CDI), concerned group and a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) has indicated its support for the reappointment of Professor Chukwuma Soludo, Governor Central Bank of Nigeria’s second term in office.
The group said it will collect 5million signatures of Nigerians to drive home its point.
The CDI alleged that there were on-going orchestrated move to discredit President Yar’Adua and the CBN Governor’s efforts towards consolidating the on-going reforms in the finance and economic sector in general.
According to the group, a cabal has emerged and has set aside over N200 million funds for the purpose of mounting campaign of calumny to smear Prof. Soludo and stop him from being reappointed as the apex bank Governor by the President.
At a press conference held recently in Abuja, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, CDI’s executive secretary and director of strategy / mobilization said “the plotters of this economic coup are not only targeting the Nigerian people but discrediting the government of President Yar’Adua. It is no longer a secret that disgruntled politicians, failed banks’ chiefs and emergency economic experts have commenced a nationwide smear campaign targeted at the political and economic development of Nigeria which is the core foundation of the President Yar’Adua’s seven-point agenda”.
Ikenga said the economic coup plotters and their pay masters have set in motion the use of rumours, disjointed facts, sponsored media attack, press statement and circulation of alarming text messages to run down the economic sector of Nigeria.
He went further to say that plot to instigate the collapse of the banking sector which is part of discrediting the CBN Governor with the hope of destroying consolidation gains and possible takeover of some commercial banks by creating panic in the banking sector which will lead to mass withdrawal of funds by depositors and the eventual collapse of the targeted banks have been uncovered.
“The plot to harm the economy is part of the general plot to instigate civil unrest and destabilize President Yar’Adua’s leadership commitment towards finding lasting solution to our nation’s myriads of economic, constitutional and political problems”.
CDI which commended the roles of the Economic management team of the President and CBN in ensuring that the economic meltdown does not cripple the nation’s economy also alleged that a cabal has infiltrated labour unions, opposition voices and political parties, socio-cultural and tribal associations including Arewa Consultative Forum to discredit economic policies of the apex bank.
