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On Wednesday, the Presidency called on the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to respond to the corruption charges against him instead of courting public sympathy.
Read press release issued on behalf of the Presidency by Presidential Spokesperson, Reuben Abati below:
RESPOND TO CHARGES AGAINST YOU AND STOP MISINFORMING THE PUBLIC – PRESIDENCY TELLS SANUSI
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.
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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