This (Emefiele’s pictures attached) is exactly how a diabetic patient with a soaked and ‘drizzling’ adult diaper was guided into the banking hall of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), UdoUdoma Avenue branch, Uyo, sometime in February this year.
I was an eyewitness!
My emotion was betrayed when the frail-looking woman in her mid-seventies, broke down in tears, crying profusely as the seeming insensitive cashier shouted at her and her guardian that there was not even #2,000 cash for them!
The sick woman had begged with the cashier for any little sum, out of her huge pension “in the bank” to enable her pay for her routine insulin injection.
I’m so sorry to say that the said woman had an unpleasant smell. Everyone, even at a distance within the banking hall could perceive the odour emitting from the overused adult diaper. Even the back of her dress was soaked although she wore more than two dresses to conceal her situation. We were sure she would have changed diaper if she had money on her.
She had lamented that her several transfers using her mobile app were unsuccessful due to ‘bad network’ and were neither reversed.
She even disclosed that she was taken to a certain medical facility, a well-established government-owned hospital (name withheld) in Uyo, but they refused online transfers insisting on physical cash. In those days, it was a common practice that government parastatals, petrol stations, etc, were selling Naira notes.
The uproar within the banking hall was heightened, coupled with a tensed atmosphere which was triggered by everyone’s frustration due to the Emefiele-made cash crunch!
That tension and arguments that ensued, led to pushing, dragging, etc… which culminated in the breaking of the bank’s glass doors. You may confirm from the bank.
I could see the sick woman being squeezed out of the tension-soaked banking hall, still wiping her tears with the back of her palms.
Unfortunately, I could not help her because even yours truly was equally in great need.
It was within this period that violence erupted within and around the Banking layout and the UdoUdoma axis of Uyo.
I can’t relate all that I went through with my wife and four little children. I’m also sure that other Nigerians had their shares of tales of agonies…
In those days, Nigerians used to buy their hard-earned monies with money. The common occurrence was people having to part with up to fifty percent of whatever they had in their account if they wanted to withdraw all, or as the case may be, in cash.
Many lost their lives to hunger-triggered diseases. Many lost their businesses. Many were malnourished. Farmers ate their seedlings because that was all they had for survival. The effect of that would be felt later by all Nigerians.
Many lost their petty jobs because their employers could no longer cope with the harsh economic situation. They could no longer buy fuel to run their small businesses. Shops were closed down and many are still unable to recover till date.
Some young men joined robbery gangs to survive, killing their unlucky targets, raping maiming others in the process. Some of the robbers were killed, some arrested and are facing trial till date.
The entire country was thrown into the worst economic quagmire as price of petrol tripled. It was worst than the the Covid-19 lockdown experience because those who had their money during the lockdown could still withdraw and use at will.
Hmmm…the experiences of that inhuman treatment meted out on Nigerians are better forgotten than recalled.
There was a court order, ordering the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to revert to the use of old Naira notes pending the determination of a suit against the policy.
Emefiele and his cohorts ignored and disobeyed the court order. Nigerians continued in the man-made sufferings and gnashing of teeth.
At the peak of this suffering of Nigerians, the ‘super man’ then CBN Governor; Godwin Emefiele was seen boasting on national television that whoever wanted to fight him should come out in the open and fight him. That he was ready (I wish anyone had the video and could post it here).
But today, the fight is here and Godwin Emefiele has run to the very court he desecrated and disobeyed to seek refuge. He and his lawyers are blaming the officials of the State Security Service (SSS) for allegedly disobeying court order on Emefiele.
What a time to be alive to witness the demonstration of the adage that says “what goes around, comes around”.
Today, Emefiele, like the frail-looking sick woman I mentioned earlier on, is being hand-guided (although he is pretending, acting a script) into the court to answer questions on his atrocious and inglorious stewardship.
I wish someone would ask Emefiele in court how he got the money to buy the assorted cars he branded for his ill-fated 2023 Presidential ‘campaigns’.
I wish someone would ask Emefiele in an open court where he got the N100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira) to buy the APC Presidential nomination form and other concomitant expenses.
I wish someone would be bold enough to ask Godwin Emefiele in an open court whether, as a public officer, number one banker in Nigeria, he had the moral and constitutional justification to contest against those whose monies and their financiers’ are with him at the Central Bank.
I just wish that it would be glaring to all Nigerians that Emefiele’s main reason for punishing Nigerians was to anger the electorate against the incumbent APC government: one, for not allowing him pick the Presidential ticket and two, its candidate so that his cousin; Okowa, the PDP Presidential running mate, could emerge as Vice President of Nigeria.
I just wish Godwin Emefiele would be made to pay dearly for his atrocities against innocent Nigerians and the Nigerian State!
My name is Comrade Ime Silas, Esq, and I have no reason whatsoever not to approve this message!