Alleged Defamation: Emefiele Slams Akpabio With 1Bn Suit
Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has slammed N1billion alleged defamation suit against the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.
Emefiele through his lawyer, Matthew Burkaa, in a notice to Akpabio dated February 19, 2024, faulted a statement credited to the President of the Senate in which he said; “we don’t know what to charge Emefiele with” as published in both the traditional and social media.
Emefiele described Akpabio’s comment as not only false, but distorted and clearly aimed at disparaging his character and indeed made in bad faith.
Akpabio at a thanks giving service by Senator Barinada Mpigi in Koroma, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State on Sunday, was quoted as having said that Emefiele left the Nigerian economy in a mess and the Federal Government does not know the charges to levy against him.
The President Bola Tinubu administration, through anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), commenced the probing of the tenure of Emiefiele as Governor of the CBN.
In the letter addressed to Akpabio, the lawyer to the former CBN Governor, Mr Burkaa noted that contrary to Akpabio’s claim, the Federal Government had since August 14, 2023 preferred charges against Emefiele for which his client had pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
Burkaa further told Akpabio; “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,” he said.
