Is Festus Keyamo suggesting that Muhammadu Buhari, the President of Nigeria, is either of low cognitive complexity or simply self-opinionated. Ah, yes, the next President must get rid of Godwin Emefiele

Ipemndoh dan Iyan 

Background

On Wednesday 26 October 2022, Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) made it known to the Country that the CBN  announced the Intention to recast some Naira Notes. In his "press briefing" he made bold Remarks that "the integrity of a local legal tender, the efficiency of its supply, as well as its efficacy in the conduct of monetary policy are some of the hallmarks of a great Central Bank." - https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/10/emefieles-full-speech-why-cbn-is-redesigning-naira-notes/ He then introduced the Mind to why the CBN of which he had been Governor for 8 Year at the Time - he was appointed in 2014 - is not "a great Central Bank." I doubt though whether he had the faintest Inclination that he was doing that. He said: "Although global best practice is for central banks to redesign, produce and circulate new local legal tender every 5–8 years, the Naira has not been redesigned in the last 20 years." Well, he did suggest that his "daunting challenges" were "in recent times" but how recent is recent? If you ask me, I would say the Man is engaged in Subterfuge. If the "global best practice … for  central banks to redesign, produce and circulate new local legal tender [is] every 5–8 years" why did he have to wait for the Litany of Woes he described in his Address to manifest before deciding to recast some Naira Notes? Does he not know the Meaning of "best practice"? If "the Naira [had] not been redesigned in the last 20 years" to 2022 it meant that when he assumed Office in 2014, the Naira Designs had failed "best practice" by 4 Years. 2022 - 2014 = 8 Years thus Naira Designs were 12 Years old when Godwin Emefiele became CBN Governor. The maximum "best practice" Period, according to him, is 8 Years thus 8 Years from 12 Years = 4 Years. 

Importantly, nothing in Emefiele's Catalogue of Woes justified his "redesign[ing], produc[ing] and circulat[ing] new local legal tender" Months before Nigeria's general Elections of 2023.  So, why choose that Time? I asked this all-important Question in http://ipemndohdaniyan.blogspot.com/2023/02/they-have-sewn-up-2023-asiwaju-bola.html. See also https://twitter.com/IP_dan_Iyan/status/1623298467102658561?t=AB_cKYMYNJ0hThcuK9iyXg&s=19. Going forward with his Machinations, CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele proceeded to apprise the Nigerian Public that

"… the Management of the CBN sought and obtained the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari to redesign, produce, and circulate new series of banknotes at N200, N500, and N1,000 levels.

In line with this approval, we have finalized arrangements for the new currency to begin circulation from December 15, 2022. The new and existing currencies shall remain legal tender and circulate together until January 31, 2023 when the existing currencies shall seize[sic](Endnote 1) to be legal tender."

Retired 2-Star Army General and one-time Military Ruler of Nigeria now at the Tail of his second Term in Office as Nigeria’s elected Civilian President, Muhammadu Buhari, commissioned into Legality the substituted Naira Denominations on 23 November 2022. It was to take close to a Month for these new Notes to begin "circulation" on 15 December 2022. There remained the Deadline of 31 January 2023 for the replaced Naira to become illegal. 

The Unreason of the 'quasi literate uneducated'©

What do I mean by 'quasi literate uneducated'? This is the Category of Persons who believe themselves educated because they are in Possession of University Degrees notwithstanding their Degree Classifications or their academic Disciplines. Believe it or not, some with just the 'West African School Certificate' (WASC) in Nigeria believe themselves educated. Nevermind, I am concerned, in particular, with those waving in our Faces their Bachelor's Degree Education. What is the Essence of a University Education, I ask? It is simple. It is to equip the Mind with the Capacity, even Mind without inherent Capability, to broaden Understanding beyond the Spoon-feeding by Lecturers and Textbooks ('extended Lecturers'©). What I have found generally with the Nigerian Mind is regurgitating of extant Information and emotional Responses to tasking Phenomena which require Reflection. 

The Unreason of  'quasi literate uneducated' Minds is what I observe in the most pervading Response to Godwin Emefiele's Naira Redesign Policy and Implementation Schedule. They say they are Lawyers, they Claim to have PhDs in whatever Area, they boast they fought for "Democracy", most of them have only the first Degree (Bachelor's) in Disciplines not requiring reasoning but merely procedural. They all welcomed the Naira Redesign Policy and its Timetable for Implementation. Some of them even go as far as to point to India, as indication that Emefiele copied the Scheme from that Country. India 'demonetized the Rupee' in "one Day," one of them claimed, so why is it difficult for Nigeria to do it in many more Days? He chastised. At the Time I wrote http://ipemndohdaniyan.blogspot.com/2023/02/they-have-sewn-up-2023-asiwaju-bola.html I did not know that any Country had previously been primordial. I simply could not imagine it. Nevertheless, when I reviewed the Indian Experience, I found that it even resulted in the Death of Citizens desperate to beat the Deadline the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, arbitrarily imposed. This criminal Act against Humanity was committed in 2016, yet to Date it has not achieved what Modi told his Peoples it would - https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/failed-objectives-six-years-after-demonetisation-cash-is-still-king-black-money-is-very-much-around-and-counterfeit-notes-are-on-the-rise-9464781.html. So, I ask again; what is the Essence of Education without the Ability to evaluate different Pieces of Information the so-called educated Person comes across? 

The Nigerians who are really educated, those with the Independence of Mind to reason tried to prevail on Godwin Emefiele and President Buhari to extend the Deadline beyond 31 January 2023. One actually asked him to jettison the Policy. Well, we know what happened. They might well had been beseeching Rocks. Since Muhammadu Buhari was intransigent, some of these intelligent Minds applied to the Nigerian Supreme Court for Relief. 

The Supreme Court of Nigeria intervenes

Remember Godwin Emefiele's bold Boast that “the integrity of a local legal tender, the efficiency of its supply, as well as its efficacy in the conduct of monetary policy are some of the hallmarks of a great Central Bank."? Well. The Nigerian on the Streets knows that the redesigned N200, N500 and N1,000 Notes are almost non-existent and where in Existence were in the Possession of the well-connected. That Nigerian on the Streets feels it so s/he knows it and is resigned to the Knowledge that Buhari and Emefiele "no gather" (unimaginably inept). There was, and still is, clearly deficient Coordination between the Monies Emefiele was carting off the Market and their Replacement Sums. Tell me again why this Incompetent is the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. He failed abysmally to satisfy the Condition of “efficiency of ... supply.” This Godwin Emefiele's Incapability was felt directly on the Streets of the Nigerian State. There were long Queues for insufficient Supply of the new Notes resulting in Public Disorders. How many have died we will eventually know. However, the Distress, especially the humiliating Distress, 'the People' were subjected to was evident for the whole World to witness. 

The astute Observer on the Outside recognizes that (i) the Redesigns of those Naira Notes at the Point they were undertaken, (ii) the Timetable to invalidate the replaced Notes and (iii) suffocated Supply of the Substitute Notes indicated Panic. Panic over what though? Are we experiencing Muhammadu Buhari repeat his Stunt of 1983 when he overthrew President Shehu Shagari to bury the Trail of the $2.8b that supposedly strayed into his personal Account? Was he, and still, worried that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of his APC Party would not win the Presidency and who does instead would come after him for his unbridled Corruption? Are both the Naira Redesign Policy, and its Implementation Buhari’s 'scorched earth' Programme to cover his Tracks? Is it not curious that it was Bola Tinubu himself who escalated the Contrivance of the Naira Redesign Policy and the Brutality of its Implementation to the Public Space and inevitably unloaded it onto the World Stage? The Endgame to the Naira Redesign Policy and its savage Execution, I believe is as I observed in http://ipemndohdaniyan.blogspot.com/2023/02/they-have-sewn-up-2023-asiwaju-bola.html.  

In “Conversation” with Seun Okinbaloye of Channelstv –https://youtu.be/EnJitysUSqM, Festus Keyamo, a Lawyer, a Member of Muhammadu Buhari's Junta, and a leading Spokesperson for the Tinubu presidential Run, unwittingly supported my Suspicion. He was good, extremely good at showing Nigerians how callous the other presidential Candidates are for not speaking out against the Oppression of President Buhari’s and CBN Governor Emefiele’s Naira Redesign Policy. He made a damn masterly Case for why ‘the People’ must vote Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu the new President of Nigeria in February 2023. Keyamo was simply admirable. I doff my Hat to him. 

For me, though, Festus Keyamo’s Defence of the Suit against Muhammadu Buhari and his Celebration of the APC Governors who filed the Suit and who are solidly backing Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu for President confirms my Claim that the Naira Redesign Policy and its abhorrent Implementation were stage managed for a Tinubu Win. However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had the ‘saving Grace' in PDP Governors Aminu Tambuwal of  Sokoto State who joined the APC Governors' Suit against the APC Government of Buhari, and Nyesome Wike of Rivers State, who circa 4 Days before the Ex Parte Petition, advised Buhari to change Course although did not join in the Ex Parte Petition – https://authorityngr.com/2023/02/04/wike-to-buhari-nigerians-are-suffering-hardship-over-new-naira-policy/. In Effect, Wike was imploring Muhammadu Buhari to jettison his atrocious Policy. Wike is damn brilliant when he wants to be. I am beginning to warm to him again. Wike and fellow PDP Governor of Abia State, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, have since filed separate Suits against Buhari’s Naira Redesign Policy.

Eventually, the Governors of Kaduna State Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, Kogi State Yahaya Adoza Bello, and Zamfara State Bello Matawalle who are Members of the APC filed a Petition before the Supreme Court of Nigeria to stay Buhari's and Emefiele's savage Implementation of their Naira Redesign Policy. Our Nigerian 'quasi literate uneducated' Minds quickly jumped to the Conclusion that these Governors went to Court because the Policy compromised their Capacities to buy Votes in the forthcoming Elections. They were just simply parroting one another. It was, and still is, bandwagoning. Not one of them stepped back to observe with 'hold on, the Implementation of this Policy is not right'. I did not hear any of them talk of the Proportion of the redesigned Denominations within the Money Flow vis-à-vis the available Sums for their Replacement when it is clearly Consideration any reasonable Person would ponder. It suited their Narrative to be so dull minded, or perhaps they are just dimwitted, especially their propagating Media and Journalists/Broadcasters. I was so incensed by the Contrivance of the Naira Redesign Policy and the Brutality of its Implementation. I saw through it but our 'quasi literate uneducated' Troops could not. 

On Wednesday 8 February 2023, the Supreme Court of Nigeria entertained the Ex Parte Petition of Kano State, Kogi State and Zamfara State with an Interim Order to stay the Government of Buhari from pushing ahead with invalidating the substituted N200, N500 and N1,000 Notes. On Wednesday 15 February 2023, the Supreme Court reaffirmed this Order even though it did not need to. 

The General brandished the big Gun

On the following Day to Nigeria's Supreme Court's Affirmation of its Interim Order, Thursday 16 February 2023, retired Army General now Civilian President, Muhammadu Buhari, deployed his big Gun, so he believed. He forgot that before he overthrew the Civilian Government of President Shehu Shagari he was only a 2-Star General subject to the Authorities of higher ranking Generals and their Equivalents in the Nigerian Air force and Nigerian Navy. In his Broadcast of that Day, Buhari flagrantly defied the Authority of the Supreme Court https://radionigeriaibadan.gov.ng/2023/02/16/full-text-of-president-buharis-speech-on-naira-redesign-policy-crisis/. Below is the Address culled but verbatim  

"I am addressing you to … identify with you and express my sympathy, over the difficulties being experienced as we continue the implementation of new monetary policies, aimed at boosting our economy and tightening the loopholes associated with money laundering … Above all, as an administration that respects the rule of law, I have also noted that the subject matter is before the courts of our land and some pronouncements have been made. To further ease the supply pressures, particularly to our citizens, I have given approval to the CBN that the old N200 bank notes be released back into circulation and that it should also be allowed to circulate as legal tender with the new N200, N500, and N1000 banknotes for 60 days from February 10, 2023, to April 10, 2023, when the old N200 notes cease to be legal tender."

What was Muhammadu Buhari thinking? The Buhari I have been studying since the late 1970s probably thought "I am the President, the Chief Executive of the Country of Nigeria. The Supreme Court is beneath my Office. Does the President not appoint the Justices to their Benches?" He got it wrong in many Ways. While the Office of President is superior to individual Justices, it is inferior to the Pronouncements of these Justices emanating from the Authority bequeathed them by Nigeria's 1999 Constitution (even as amended). In disregarding the Pronouncements of the Court, any Court, Buhari tore apart this Constitution that he swore on Oath not only to defend but primarily to protect; "I will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; …"(Endnote 2)  That this Defiance of the the Supreme Court is unforgivable Abuse of their Constitution did not stop certain Nigerians from backing him, especially when Governor el-Rufai, made a Television Broadcast to assert the Supremacy of the Supreme Court over the Presidency on Matters deliberated upon by the Courts. See, what I mean when I say 'quasi literate uneducated'? This Disrespect for Supreme Court Pronouncements ergo Disregard for the Constitution, my 'quasi literate uneducated' Minds, is 'Treason' not the Rubbish Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Vice Presidential Candidate, of the Labour Party has been spewing https://punchng.com/new-naira-el-rufais-comment-treasonable-says-datti-baba-ahmed/ and he has a PhD? President Muhammadu Buhari's "best of [his] ability [to] preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria" is wanting. He has never been fit for the Office of President. He should be impeached. Further, the Nigerian President does not appoint Justices. It is something done jointly with the 'National Judicial Council' and the Senate. See s.230 of the 1999 Constitution. 

Festus Keyamo damaged the 2-Star General

In his "Conversion" with Seun Okinbaloye https://youtu.be/EnJitysUSqM, Festus Keyamo defended Muhammadu Buhari’s Disdain for the Supreme Court’s Interim Order against his Naira Redesign Policy and Execution with: "the President acted honestly without Intention to slight the Supreme Court but he may have acted on wrong Advice." Wow. What? Keyamo obviously believed he was protecting his General, Muhammadu Buhari. In Reality, he was destroying his Credibility. He broadcast him either as (i) of 'low cognitive complexity' or (ii) simply self-opinionated. Tellingingly, Festus Keyamo forgot that President Muhammadu Buhari told the World that he consulted extraordinarily widely before assaulting the Supreme Court of Nigeria. 

Muhammadu Buhari with low cognitive complexity

"The President acted honestly without Intention to slight the Supreme Court but he may have acted on wrong Advice." At Face Value, this Comment does not say Muhammadu Buhari acted on Advice. "May" is the operative Word. Buhari might simply have acted on own Whim. However, let us assume he "acted on wrong Advice." The only Office required by Law to render Advice to the President of the Nigerian State is the Office of the Attorney-General notwithstanding 'Special Adviser this or that'. The current Incumbent is Abubakar Malami who is also the Minister for Justice. One; is President Muhammadu Buhari so cognitively challenged that he does not know that the only Advice he must listen to must come from Malami? Two; is President Buhari so unintelligent that he does not appreciate that Advice is 'external Party Assistance with Problem solving'©? Advice is not Instruction or Mandate or Requirement. If Muhammadu Buhari acted on Advice that he did not believe in or is Line of Action he would not have preferred eventually on own Reflection, then he is unquestionably of low cognitive complexity.  

Muhammadu Buhari as Self-opinionated

"The President acted honestly without Intention to slight the Supreme Court but he may have acted on wrong Advice." In superficie, this Remark does not confirm that Muhammadu Buhari acted on Advice. "May" is the key Word. Buhari might simply have acted on own Whim. If Buhari acted on own Accord to infringe upon the Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court despite the wide Consultations he told the World he had, then he is Self-opinionated and absolutely no Team Player. I do not believe that not even one of those he consulted would not have counseled him against abridging the constitutional Province of the Supreme Court. His right Hand, the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to whom he should turn to for casual Advice ordinarily, as they were elected together as a Team, (Endnote 3)  is a Professor of Law. Would Osinbajo have supported Buhari flouting Supreme Court Orders? I think not. Yemi Osinbajo's primary Responsibility is to the Courts as an 'Officer of the Court'.

There is no "Democracy" without Respect for Court Pronouncements 

There is no "Democracy" without Respect for the 'Rule of Law' with the Fundamentals emerging, especially, from the Supreme Court no matter how unsafe or unsound such Promulgations might be. You want “Democracy”? This is it. You do not get to "cherry pick" on which Court Decision you would condone.  The Problem with my 'quasi literate uneducated' Persons comprising those (1) who say they are Lawyers because they possess Law Certificates, (2) with PhDs whatever in, (3) who claim they fought for Democracy in Nigeria, (4) with just the Bachelor's Degree in non-reasoning Disciplines is that they scream "Democracy" without a Clue as to what it entails. Their Understanding of their so-called Democracy is limited to vote casting. Let me, just for Argument's Sake, accept what I know to be 'electoral Politics' as Democracy. There are many Aspects of this "Democracy." It is clear that Nigerians, especially Nigerian Media Persons, know "Democracy" to consist only of the Ballot Box. Just listen to them talking their Tosh on Television; (YouTube Broadcasts) “Democracy” for them is mainly the conducive Environment for the Voter to cast the Vote and that Vote to be counted with Honesty. Alas, vote casting and vote counting veraciously are not Democracy per se in my View but Mechanisms of Democracy. We call these Processes of vote casting, vote counting and vote collating 'procedural Democracy' in Political Studies (Political Theory/Political Philosophy). They are only about transferring your Sovereignty to Representatives, including to the Prime Minister (PM) or President. With your Vote, you are simply saying "act on my Behalf." So, what happens next, after you have temporarily relinquished – not abdicated – your Sovereignty? The Courts come in to ensure that your periodic Vacation of your Sovereignty is not abused by those to whom you have turned over this Sovereignty. The Courts protect your Sovereignties severally and collectively. This is why Court Decisions on Matters before the Courts are superior to Actions taken over same Matters by PMs or Presidents or other Cabinet Office Holders. This essential Role of the Judiciary makes for what we call 'Liberal Democracy' where the 'Rule of Law' is the Commander in Chief. Without the 'Rule of Law' there is no 'substantive Democracy'. There are more to 'substantive Democracy' but the 'Rule of Law' is the Underpin. 

Endnote

1 - The correct Word is 'cease' but if Godwin Emefiele cannot distinguish between "seize" and 'cease', or with the huge Resources at his Command unable to correct basic English Semantics, little Wonder he could not get right the Implementation of own Naira Redesign Policy.

2 - See the 'Oath of Office of President'.

3 - Without a Vice President, there is no President. They are elected together as a Team. It is the Standard of the presidential System. Understand the Nigerian Polity and the Nigerian Constitution.

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22 February