Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Charles
Soludo, has said former President Goodluck Jonathan ran the bank like a
movie from Uganda under Idi-Amin.
Soludo said, “Imagine a scenario where a president can order the CBN
to create an intervention fund for national stability and CBN literally
‘prints’ say, N3 trillion, and doles it out cash to the Presidency to
prosecute an election campaign or for just about anything he fancies.
It
is a scary thought. “We are going down a dangerous path that ruins the economy. I don’t
know any other country where such is tolerated, except perhaps what I
watched in a movie about Idi Amin and his governor of central bank.”
In an interview in the current Business Edition of The Interview, the
former CBN governor described the bank as “the ATM of the Presidency,”
under Jonathan.
He said it was regrettable that in spite of the bank’s statutory
independence, it continues to be a victim of high-wire politics, often
“electrocuting” the bank’s leadership.
Soludo said, “Recent revelations regarding the ‘arms-gate’ (short for
the $2.1billion scandal involving former NSA Sambo Dasuki) and the
apparent abuse of the CBN as ATM by the presidency should get reasonable
people thinking.”
The former CBN governor was one of the ten leading business lights
featured in the current edition of The Interview, which provides
insights into opportunities and threats in business this year, ranging
from manufacturing and power, to banking and investment, small
businesses, advertising and jobs.
Idi-Amin Dada ruled Uganda with an iron fist between 1971 and 1979
and has been described as one of the most corrupt African rulers.
Sahara Reporters
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