A prosecution witness, Salawu Gana, in the ongoing trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has testified that the contract awards for vehicle procurement, which form part of the charges against Emefiele, followed due process.
Gana, a former official of the CBN Procurement Department, appeared as the 10th prosecution witness (PW10) in the 20-count amended charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Emefiele.
Charges Against Emefiele
The former CBN governor is being prosecuted for alleged:
- Criminal breach of trust
- Forgery
- Conspiracy to obtain by false pretense
- Obtaining money by false pretense
- Using his office to confer unfair and corrupt advantages on April 1616 Nigeria Limited and Architekon Nigeria Limited
Procurement Process Followed Due Process – Witness
During cross-examination by Emefiele’s lawyer, Matthew Burkaa (SAN), Gana confirmed that:
- April 1616 Nigeria Limited was awarded contracts after going through a proper bidding and evaluation process.
- The company won the contracts because its bid was the lowest among the competitors.
- A total of 45 contracts were awarded to April 1616 based on procurement evaluations.
Emefiele Signed Only After Subordinate Approvals
When handed documents F1 to F45 related to the contracts, Gana:
- Reviewed the documents and confirmed that there was no instruction favoring April 1616 in the award process.
- Stated that the documents contained Emefiele’s approval, but emphasized that the ex-CBN governor acted last in the line of approvals.
- Noted that at least five officers endorsed the contracts before Emefiele gave his final approval.
Legal Implications and Next Steps
- The testimony could weaken the EFCC’s allegations that Emefiele influenced the contracts unlawfully.
- The cross-examination continues, with the defense expected to argue that Emefiele merely followed protocol.
- The trial will further examine whether the awarded contracts conferred any corrupt advantage to April 1616 and Architekon Nigeria Limited.
As the trial progresses, the court will determine whether Emefiele's role in the procurement process constitutes a breach of public trust or compliance with due process.
