By Lawal Nasir
Dr Bolaji Oluwayanmife Akinyemi (not to be mistaken for the accomplished Nigerian Professor of Political Science and former Minister of External Affairs Bolaji Akinyemi) is a regular writer whose write-ups appear on a number of news platforms. As a public affairs commentator, he writes on different topics and / or personalities, championing “the right civic engagements and institutional accountability for an ideal society.”
He was born Hammed Akinyemi Bolaji Ogunseye to Dorcas Aduke Ogunseye, nee Ogunremi now late and Alhaji Nasir Adesina Babatunde Ogunseye, until circumstances of life necessitated an adjustment in name to Bolaji Oluwayanmife Akinyemi [as published on his website: bolajioakinyemi.com]. I am yet to come across any elaboration on those circumstances that necessitated the change of name from Hammed Akinyemi Bolaji Ogunseye to Bolaji Oluwayanmife Akinyemi, but I have seen a number of instances the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi had to issue a disclaimer about views shared by the former.
No doubt, Bolaji Oluwayanmife Akinyemi, a fine writer in hus own right, has churned out many intellectual releases that triggered thought-provoking opinions about governance in Nigeria. But “the hood doesn’t make the monk” and therefore the number of articles written by an individual can not make him a financial expert. Financial expertise is earned through a combination of relevant education and practical experience, not the frequency of articles.
Bolaji Oluwayanmife Akinyemi also knows full well that one thing that makes commentary interesting is that not everybody will agree with your line of argument. This is why I find Mr. Akinyemi’s obsession with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Olayemi Cardoso very strange. This year, he has written consistently on Cardoso, with the latest being an article titled “Final Warning to Cardoso’s Cardinal Failure” where he said “After two years, a CBN governor and ministers who haven’t been able to shift Nigeria’s economic tide has no business in office beyond Independence Day.” Before then, he had written an article titled “The Cardinal Failure of Cardoso. “
To be clear, being obsessed with an agenda is not a crime in itself, but it makes one liable to all sorts of insinuations, especially when your views sharply contradict the reality that the people see. It is also unfair commentary to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it, like when Mr. Akinyemi unsuccessfully accused Mr. Cardoso of interfering in the activities of the Bank of Industry (BOI), a government agency with its own peculiar mandate.
Just look at the streak of successes being recorded by the Cardoso-led CBN, and you will know that Mr. Akinyemi’s argument is not based on performance, but conjectures and emotions. From clearing a significant foreign exchange (FX) backlog, restoring stability and transparency in the FX market, to enhancing financial inclusion and promoting stability in Nigeria’s financial ecosystem, Mr Cardoso’s achievements are visible, earning him several accolades.
In May this year, one of Nigeria’s most influential online business newspapers, Nairametrics, presented an award to Mr Cardoso in recognition of his transformative leadership and strategic contributions to Nigeria’s financial and capital markets. The CBN under Cardoso was also honoured with the “Market Reform Initiative of the Year” award. The popular African Banker magazine (which has the African Development Bank Group as its official patron) also recognised Cardoso as the African Central Bank Governor of the Year during the 19th edition of the African Banker Awards held on May 28 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Earlier in January this year, the Arewa Accountability Forum commended Cardoso for his decisive action against Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) that failed to dispense cash through Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) during the festive season.
There are indeed many achievements that Nigerians can see as a result of Cardoso’s leadership. While it may not be out of place for some to have different perspectives, it will be grossly unfair to conclude that nothing good is happening at the apex bank because the reality shows otherwise.
Nasir writes from Abuja
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