By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
South-South National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Dan Orbih, , said the outbursts and criticisms showered on the Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki over his comments on the printing of N60 billion for the payment of March salary by the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele was politically motivated.
Orbih made the remark on Monday while receiving the Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, RT. Hon. Ogundoyin Adebo who led some youth on courtesy call on him in his Benin City residence.
“I will like to use this opportunity to say something about the recent outburst of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele over the sad revelations by the Edo State governor that the federal government printed over N60billion to be able to make up the money required to pay their statutory allocations to the various tiers of government.
“To me, the outburst was political. I will like to condemn the CBN governor’s remarks because he said so much without convincing Nigerians about the economics to make the decision to print over N60billion to meet the statutory allocations”, he said.
Orbih said the revelations by the Edo State governor was a clear attestation that all is not well with the nation’s economy and that if drastic measures are not taken to address the current situation, it might be worse than what happened in Uganda.
“To me, that was a public admission that all is not well with our economy.
“We need the youths to come up with ideas and programs that will help this government come out of their mess because the revelations by Godwin Obaseki is a sad reminder of what happened in Uganda under former President Idi Amin.
“No government can sustain the economy of a country with that type of abuse”, he said.
The National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), South-South, Chief Orbih noted that what gave the CBN governor the effontry to take on the Edo State governor was because of the enormous power vested on him just as he stressed that it would be better if such power is striped off him and cause him to be responsible and loyal to the people rather than the government that has appointed him.
“I think it is time for us as a country to make it very clear that whoever assumes the office of CBN governor should have his loyalty to the people of our country and not the government.
” That is why we must take it seriously this revelations by Godwin Obaseki.
“It is my prayer and hope that very soon the CBN must come out clearly to tell Nigerians that they have what it takes to bailout us out from this predicament”, he added.
He added that the shocking revelation by the Edo State governor on the printing of money was a bad omen to the international community that the country is not safe and viable for businesses, stressing that instead of looking for how to correct such misfortune, he is busy trying to just his action.
“His submission that we are in a very serious financial mess was a loud message even to foreign investors that Nigeria is a-no-go-area as far as investment is concerned.
” You can not send that type of message and at the same time you want to bully those who are genuinely concerned about what is happening in our country today by threatening to ask states that borrowed money to pay up immediately”, he said.
He assured the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly and his delegations of his massive support in ensuring youth inclusiveness in the nation’s politics.
Earlier, the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Ogundoyin Adebo, said they were in his house to congratulate him on his newly elected position as the National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), South-South and to also pledge their loyalty and support in order for him to succeed in his task of moving the party forward.
Ogundoyin pleaded with him to rally round the youths to ensure that their dreams of becoming the President and Vice.