The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed and replace her with a more competent individual.
The main opposition party made the call while reacting to the money printing saga rocking the nation.
It may be recalled that Naija News had earlier reported that Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had accused the federal government of printing N60 billion to support states’ allocations in March.
“When we got FAAC for March, the federal government printed additional N50-N60 billion to top-up for us to share,” he had said.
Reacting, Zainab Ahmed had said the claim by the Edo governor is a lie.
She also described as sad a situation where a sitting Governor can make such an allegation.
She said: “The issue that was raised by the Edo State Governor for me is very, very sad. Because it is not a fact.”
But the Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele stated that the money was meant as loan from the apex bank.
“If you understand the concept of printing of money, it is about lending money. There is no need for all the controversy around money printing as if we are going into the factory to print naira and then distribute on the streets,” Emefiele had said.
In a statement on Friday, PDP spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, accused the minister of “attempting to mislead Nigerians” over allegations that the federal government printed.
“The PDP asserts that the admission by CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, that the apex bank has been printing money at the bidding of government, has vindicated its earlier stand that the Buhari-led APC administration is characterized by concealments, deceit and falsehood,” the statement read.
“The PDP flays the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, for attempting to mislead Nigerians by denying the revelations by the Edo state, Godwin Obaseki, that N60 billion was printed in March to support federal allocation to states.
“A situation where the Federal Government cannot articulate and implement policies favourable to wealth creation but resorting to borrowing and indiscriminate printing of currency notes, only goes to further confirm that the Buhari administration lacks the credibility and capacity to run a nation.
“The PDP calls out President Muhammadu Buhari to come clean on the amount that has been printed so far by the CBN to finance the deficit caused by the financial mismanagement of his government as well as what the funds had been used for.
“Furthermore, for failing the full disclosure test, the PDP demands that the Minister of Finance should immediately be relieved of her position, while the President accepts responsibility for the indiscriminate printing of currency in our naira.”