As far back as over 2,000 years ago, the practice of prerogative of mercy was already a norm. The Bible recorded that it was the custom of the Jews to have the Roman governor release for them a prisoner at the feast of Passover.
Pilate, the Roman governor before whom Jesus was brought, found him not guilty and asked the Jews if he should release him in exercise of the prerogative of mercy (normally extended to those already found guilty). But the Jews yelled that they didn’t want Jesus released, even though he was not found guilty of any offence. They rather demanded the release of Barabbas, a robber, while demanding death by crucifixion for Jesus. They had their way.
As it was back then, so it is now. The exercise of the prerogative of mercy is alive in Nigeria as in many other countries, particularly at national anniversaries. It will be the anniversary of the ascent of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu government in a few days. Usually, it is a period for prisoner release under the prerogative of mercy. But unlike the days of Pilate, the head of government doesn’t have to consult the people over whom to release. Any consultation is done within the government. Tinubu’s government is no exception.
While it remains secret who may be released, it has been thrown into the open who is most unlikely to be released. Senate president, Godswill Akpabio told the press the other day that former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, was the reason for the hunger ravaging the country. With no less than 90% of Nigerians suffering unprecedented hunger at one level or another, Akpabio has literally leaked to the populace whose head it should demand in order to eat. He has literally raised the shout, Crucify Emefiele, release unto us the Boko Haram captains killing farmers across the north.
Akpabio said that the dire state of the economy was the handiwork of Emefiele and that he did so much evil that the government didn’t know where to start prosecuting him from. If Akpabio were an illiterate, I would have alluded his dumb statement to his academic limitations. But he is a qualified lawyer. In addition, he is a former governor who has tasted executive power and knows its limits.
Any keen observer would, however, see that Akpabio was simply speaking from a script. Bereft of ideas and shorn of ability to steer the economic ship, the Tinubu government needs a bogeyman upon whom to hang the disaster it has brought the country. And it must be someone it can manhandle without fear. They found the person in Godwin Emefiele.
If Tinubu’s problem was with how the economy was managed in the immediate past, he should have pulled in Muhammadu Buhari, the immediate past president. It was he that Nigerians voted two consecutive times to be the president, not Emefiele. And a major plank of his duty as president was the management of the economy for optimal growth and wellbeing of its people. It smacks of cowardice leaving Buhari and expending so much venom on his appointee. If Emefiele wasn’t performing as per Buhari’s benchmark, he should have been fired. That he was retained till the end of Buhari’s government indicated that his principal was pleased with his work.
And if lieutenants must be hounded in place of generals, why should the government be selective? As the CBN governor, Emefiele handled the monetary policy of government. How about the finance minister who was in charge of the fiscal policy? Zainab Ahmed was the immediate past minister of finance, budget and national planning, a portfolio much wider than that of Emefiele. Shouldn’t questions about how the economy was run come to her first?
Meanwhile, the theater continues. A dispatch rider was presented by prosecution, bearing witness that he collected gratification for Emefiele, running into millions of dollars. Who would be daft enough to do that in Nigeria? Well, the court will decide the daft party – Emefiele or the prosecution.
Interestingly, prosecution has moved from Abuja to Lagos, leaving one wondering if the location of the court affects outcome. Emefiele on his part has kicked against being prosecuted in a Lagos court, challenging the move.
At issue too is the amount spent by Emefiele in the currency redesign. A leak says that he spent N18 billion to print N648 billion. But another leak says Emefiele gave the printing contract to the Nigerian Printing and Minting Corporation at a rate that had been constant since 2019. As per prudence, the counter leak says Emefiele’s cost per bank note was almost half of the cost at which current CBN governor, Olayemi Cardoso, gave out currency printing contracts to foreign firms.
While the court does its duty of sorting out the substance from the chaff, a source of worry is how long this matter will occupy the public space and as a corollary, how much longer the starvation will continue, according to Akpabio. If it takes the government a year and more to figure out the approach to what it identified as its problem, how long will it take to sort it out?
As the Yoruba would say, if a candidate for madness spends so much time in preparation, how long will the actual madness last?
•OJUKWU-ENENDU is a former newspaper editor.
