Mr. Obazee, the special investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu last July to probe the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the leadership of Godwin Emefiele, will be honored for his public service efforts. Alongside other government officials, Mr. Obazee will receive the prize for the public service category, as reported on Wednesday.
The awards ceremony, scheduled for June 27, will be chaired by former Head of State Abdusalami Abubakar. The event will also see the newspaper honoring Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory; Kabir Abba Yusuf, the Kano State Governor; and Umo Bassey Eno, the Akwa Ibom State Governor with gold prize awards. Mr. Wike will be recognized for his “Infrastructural Revolution and Exceptional Leadership,” while Mr. Yusuf and Mr. Eno will be honored for “Courage in Leadership” and “Peace Building & Innovative Leadership” respectively.
Isa Aremu, a veteran labor leader and the Director-General of the Michael Imoudu Institute of Labour Studies, will also receive the Public Service Award.
The newspaper commended Mr. Obazee, describing him as a “patriotic and fearless Nigerian” who undertook the challenging task of investigating economic malfeasances at the CBN during Mr. Emefiele’s tenure. According to the report, Mr. Obazee and his team have maintained integrity throughout the investigation, resisting any inducements to deviate from their mission.
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During his scrutiny, Mr. Obazee uncovered 593 bank accounts in the US, the UK, and China where the CBN, under Mr. Emefiele, allegedly stashed Nigerian funds without authorization. The investigation also exposed billions of naira allegedly stolen by the former CBN chief and other officials, including a “fraudulent cash withdrawal of $6.23 million.”
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Mr. Obazee’s report detailed the discovery of £543.4 million allegedly hidden in fixed deposit accounts by Mr. Emefiele, who reportedly manipulated the naira exchange rate and used the e-naira project for fraudulent activities. The trial of the implicated parties is still ongoing.
The recognition of Mr. Obazee and his team highlights the importance of accountability and transparency in Nigeria’s financial institutions.