A civil society organisation, Advocacy for Societal Rights Advancement and Development Initiative (ASRADI), described Oshiomhole as, “the governor of a state in Nigeria who looks, dresses, talks and behaves like a palm wine tapper.” In a statement issued by its Executive Director, Mr. Deolu Oyinlola, ASRADI said while it refused “to be dragged into a mudslinging war with the garrulous character who assumed the role of spokesman for both President Muhammadu Buhari and the CBN governor,” it would not allow Oshiomhole to obfuscate issues with his muddle-headed musings. The statement read: “In order for the public to decide who – between those calling for Emefiele’s removal and the classless state governor – is politicising what ASRADI believes is a straight forward case of abuse of office and betrayal of public trust, we would like to pose the following questions: “Is it ‘faceless and shadowy’ groups (according to the loose cannon and his fake coalition of “CSOs”) that forced Emefiele to unlawfully release raw cash of forty seven million dollars ($47million) in 17 suit cases to Sambo Dasuki as part of what is now famously known as Dasukigate? Is a CBN governor who is suspected to be deeply involved in what, clearly, is money laundering, standing on any moral high ground to remain in that office? “Is it our loquacious pigmy’s ‘palm wine drinkers’ that scandalously employed the sons/daughters/nephews/nieces/wards of people like President Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice-President Abubakar Atiku, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba. Internal Affairs Minister, Dambazzau, Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Alli, NNPC GMD, Ibe Kachikwu, Governor of Adamawa State, the Deputy Governors of Delta and Bayelsa States; to mention but a few? “At the last count, Emefiele has secretly employed 909 privileged Nigerians without advertising a single vacancy! Which CSO worthy of that appellation would support such a patently anomalous and egregiously corrupt exercise? Little wonder, no individual’s name was associated with a release that was attributed to a phoney ‘coalition of CSOs! It is, in all probability, safe to conclude that Emefiele and the state governor in question – between them – created the ‘coalition’ out of desperation.” The group said it was at a loss as to what the connection was between the aforementioned cases of indiscretion on the part of the CBN governor, and the introduction of biometric verification numbers, the addition of 41 items to the import prohibition list or the re-organisation of the operations of BDCs as preposterously suggested by the governor and his suspicious coalition of CSOs. “It is a shame and an embarrassment for someone who became governor of a state based on a reputation of being a comrade, would curiously make it his business to be defending the indefensible so senselessly?” the group asked. It stated that with leaders like ‘this interloping fellow who seems to suffer permanently from verbal diarrhoea,’ Nigeria was in deeper trouble than previously thought. The group advised Emefiele to jump rather than be pushed because if he had any decency, he would by now have tendered his resignation and turned himself in at the offices of the anti-graft agencies. It stated: “One gratifying fact, though, is that there is no statute of limitations on criminal offences. “For the information of the social climber who convened the press conference, CBN governors’ much-vaunted security of tenure is not absolute. If the Buhari administration’s change mantra is to be taken seriously, Emefiele must be shown the exit door without further delay by invoking the relevant portions of the CBN Act 2007 (particularly, Section 11(2)(c) thereof).” Source: Thisday]]>