Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has voiced his opposition to the purported study leave granted to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

Speculation had arisen that the President had approved Emefiele’s request to proceed on study leave.

Governor Matawalle reacted strongly to this report, asserting that Emefiele should not be granted such leave due to his monetary policy, which he deemed as a “disastrous naira swap policy” that inflicted hardships on Nigerians.

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Governor Matawalle called upon President Buhari to deny the leave request, in order to facilitate a peaceful transition of power.

He emphasized that the President should not tolerate any attempts to undermine the progress achieved during his tenure. Matawalle insisted that Emefiele must be held accountable for his actions before leaving the country.

He commended President Buhari and his wife, Aisha Buhari, for their commitment to a smooth and orderly transfer of power to the incoming administration.

However, he criticized other government officials who seemed intent on obstructing the incoming regime.

Matawalle urged the President to disapprove any study leave or similar requests for key officers involved in the transition to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

The Zamfara State Governor highlighted Emefiele’s role in managing the country’s financial and monetary systems.

He specifically mentioned the ill-fated naira swap policy and confiscation program, which caused significant hardships and setbacks for the economy.

Matawalle, along with two other governors, took the Federal Government to court over this policy and fought persistently for relief for their respective states.

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Expressing his concern, Matawalle argued that Emefiele’s desire to go on study leave with ten months remaining in his tenure appeared to be an attempt to avoid being held accountable.

He called on President Buhari to reject this request, insisting that Emefiele should remain in his position to provide a comprehensive account of his actions to the incoming administration.

Governor Matawalle further revealed that certain outgoing government officials were attempting to leave the country clandestinely at a critical time when they should be answering specific questions.

While he refrained from disclosing names, he urged President Buhari not to entertain their unpatriotic plans, which he deemed dangerous and indicative of hidden agendas.

Matawalle emphasized that evading accountability was contrary to the principles of transparency, anti-corruption, and good governance.