Respond to charges against you and stop misinforming the
public - Presidency tells Sanusi…
Find the State House
press release below...
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
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