We need your prayers, road ahead rough very tough – Emefiele

The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has advised Nigerians to brace up, for tougher times lie ahead.

Emefiele spoke yesterday while appearing before the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions which screened him for confirmation for a second and final term of office.

Responding to the goodwill speeches and prayers for his success by members of the committee, led by its chairman SenatorAdebayo Ibrahim, Emefiele acknowledged that the road ahead was rough.

“I thank you for praying for me because we need it and I say this because the road ahead is still rough and very tough,” he said.

Giving an insight into what his second term in office would look like, the CBN governor said that the apex bank will be hard on the nation’s economic saboteurs.

“We will push very hard to ensure that those who seek to undermine the policies of Nigeria without respecting the laws of this country will be brought to book under any circumstances,” he said.

He, therefore, called on the citizenry to cultivate the habit of respecting government policies and laws.

He said: “I want to appeal to all Nigerians that a time comes in the history of a country where you have to learn to respect the policies and laws of a country.

“Part of the problem that we have seen in Nigeria is lack of respect for the policies of this country. Nigeria is very good at putting in place policies that are sound and workable. But implementation has always been almost zero. And it is arising because we see people sabotaging government activities.

“We see people when policies are made, where they pick up the pieces of paper about the policy, what they think about is how do we circumvent this policy?”

After his presentation to the committee yesterday, members praised him for his performance in the last five years and indicated that he would be recommended for confirmation.

“We have done the screening as expected of us and the committee will now do its report and send to the Senate for consideration at plenary,” the committee chairman, Senator Adebayo Ibrahim, said, adding that Emefiele would be forwarded to plenary for confirmation.

Ibrahim, who spoke after the screening, said the committee was impressed by Emefiele’s performance as governor of the apex bank.

President Muhammadu Buhari had last week reappointed Emefiele for an unprecedented second term and requested the Senate for speedy confirmation of the appointment.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, who presented Emefiele for screening, commended the speedy response of the Senate to the request of the president to confirm Emefiele.

Enang said, “This confirmation will be seen as one of the fastest requests to be considered by the Senate. The executive is grateful. I hereby present to you for confirmation, Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the CBN.”