CBN has reacted to the
allegations. Find it below...
3rd June, 2013
The Ag. Managing Editor,
Premium Times
Our attention has been drawn to the
libelous story posted on your website on 2nd June, 2013, on the Governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and which has now been circulated by other
online websites and blogging groups.
The post was full of fabrication and
inaccuracies. Ordinarily this would have been best ignored. We are however
constrained to write to you on account of the severe implications of the
allegations for the integrity of the CBN, as an institution.
Click to read more........
It is also important to reaffirm our
long-standing commitment to due process and international best practice in the
discharge of every aspect of our statutory mandate.
We wish to state that CBN is an equal
opportunity employer, which prides itself with having female members of staff
that possess the highest qualifications, competencies and skills. It is rather
reprehensible for anyone to cast such aspersions on the qualifications and
integrity of our female staff.
In the publication, you made the following
false allegations:
1. That
Dr. Maryam Yaro is a staff of the CBN at the level of Assistant Director and
that she was
recruited without due process, as
she was not qualified for the role.
2.
That the CBN Governor introduced Dr. Yaro to the CBN and exerted
pressure on the Human Resources Department to recruit her.
We wish to state the fact as follows:
1. Dr.
Maryam Yaro is not, and has never been an employee of the Central Bank of
Nigeria. She was one of four consultants (three of whom were male), hired by
the Nigeria Incentive-based Risk-sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Plc; on a one year contract,
renewable on the basis of satisfactory performance. NIRSAL Plc is a special
purpose vehicle (SPV) set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria, through a
partnership between the CBN and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development (FMARD).
2.
In the course of establishing NIRSAL, the Hon. Minister of State for
Agriculture and Rural Development, through a formal letter, recommended Dr.
Yaro to participate in the project as a Specialist on Rural Finance Access.
3. Dr. Yaro was hired after a rigorous
selection process conducted by the the NIRSAL Project Implementation Office.
This clearly contradicts the claim that Dr. Yaro was brought in by the CBN
Governor.
4.
Contrary to allegation that the Governor expedited recruitment of Dr.
Yaro, the PIO’s recommendation to hire her as a Consultant, was written on
March 30, 2012 but only received final approval on June 20, 2012.
5. It is pertinent to add that Dr. Yaro’s
academic qualifications and experience eminently qualify her for the job. She
is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), who speaks three Nigerian languages,
and has extensive experience working with farmers across the country on
different agricultural programmes. She has also been a consultant to the Food
and Agricultural Organization (FAO); and was one of the experts working in the
National Programme on Food Security before she was engaged by NIRSAL.
6. Please find attached, the relevant
documents in support of the facts stated above and we hope you will give this
the same publicity you gave your initial story.
We have noted that the other allegations in
the post border on the person of the CBN Governor and are consistent with
previous attacks. In line with the Governor’s usual practice of not responding
to these libelous comments on his person, we have decided not to respond.
The CBN shall remain resolute in the
pursuit of its statutory mandates regardless of any attempt to distract the
institution or its officers.
Thank you
Ugochukwu A. Okoroafor
Director, Corporate Communications,
Central Bank of Nigeria
Reacting to the statement, ,
Premium Times Acting Managing Editor, Idris Akinbajo, said the paper is
standing firmly by its story.
“We knew the story was going to shock a lot
of people. We were under no illusion that Nigerians would hurriedly swallow the
bitter truth of the revelations made in the story. We have discharged our
responsibility of providing information we believe citizens need to hold
officials accountable.
“Our job is done, as we will only continue
to provide additional information as necessary. It is left for Nigerians to
either demand accountability or live with, and celebrate the indiscretions of
their leaders.
“We stand firmly by our story and look
forward to the moment the CBN Governor will boldly look Nigerians in the face
and say the things we reported in that story did not happen.”
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