We have noted with disappointment, the unrelenting attempt by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to falsely portray his recent suspension from office as an attempt by the Presidency to bury his allegation that huge sums of money due to the Federation Account are unaccounted for by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The Presidency wishes to reaffirm that Mallam Sanusi’s suspension has absolutely nothing to do with his unproven and inconsistent claim that $49.8 Billion, $12 Billion or $20 Billion is missing from the national treasury. Continue...
As was clearly stated in the letter suspending him
from office and confirmed by President Goodluck Jonathan in his last
Presidential Media Chat, Mallam Sanusi’s suspension was wholly based on the need
for him to step aside while the weighty charges of financial recklessness, gross
misconduct and persistent disregard for laid down rules and regulations in the
management of the Central Bank made against him by the Financial Reporting
Council of Nigeria and others are properly
investigated.
It is most unfortunate that instead of trying to
provide some reasonable response to the clear and unambiguous query of his
official conduct as Governor of the Central Bank, Mallam Sanusi has cynically
chosen to whip up public sympathy for himself and anger against the Federal
Government by deliberately misleading unwary Nigerians and the international
community into believing the falsehood that he is being punished for exposing
corruption.
In recent days,
the suspended CBN Governor has, following in the footsteps of others who have an
axe to grind with the government, taken to spreading his false claims and
allegations through gullible foreign media correspondents, telling them among
other things that his threat to force commercial banks to open up their books to
unravel the whereabouts of the “missing” funds whether $49.8 Billion, $12
Billion or $20 Billion, ultimately led to his
suspension.
He also continues to make the mischievous claim that
the government is somehow involved in a scam to divert huge sums of money from
the Federation Account through the misappropriation of kerosene subsidy
funds.
Mallam Sanusi’s allegations are patently untrue. But
Government is making no effort to bury them as he falsely claims. Relevant
committees of the National Assembly are still investigating the claims and the
suspended CBN Governor remains free to give evidence before them in support of
his allegations.
Furthermore, in keeping with its avowed commitment to
full transparency, openness and accountability in governmental affairs, the
Federal Government has authorized the engagement of reputable international
firms for the recommended forensic audit of NNPC
accounts.
The Presidency condemns Mallam Sanusi’s resort to
playing politics with serious national issues. His suggestion that the phantom
missing funds may have been diverted to fund campaigns for next year’s general
elections is mischievous, irresponsible and designed to incite other political
parties and members of the public against the Federal
Government.
The claim which amounts to cheap blackmail against the
government and was clearly made in furtherance of a selfish personal agenda is
most unbecoming of someone who still holds the High Office of Governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria.
The Presidency would not ordinarily have wished to
join issues with Mallam Sanusi who as CBN Governor remains an appointee of the
President, but the very unacceptable manner in which Sanusi has been
misinforming the public made it imperative that this statement be
issued.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the
President
(Media and Publicity)
March 12,
2014
