SANUSI LAMIDO’S SUSPENSION: THE UNGUARDED USE OF POWER BY GEJ

The opinion we brought forth centered on the ill-motive suspension of the Central Bank of Nigeria's Governor, SANUSI LAMIDO which has triggered argument and uproar from the perspectives, objective Nigerians and the subjective ones all argue against and in favour of the suspension of SANUSI LAMIDO, the ideal men of patriotic zeal wish Nigeria to be governed within the confine of the rule of law and fairness, this did reflect in their statement when they spoke on top of their voice to say no to the suspension of Lamido Sanusi, while some persons who I considered in my opinion the subjective ones are all days supporting what the president has done. The group I called the skewed men were exposed by their unable to rely on any section of the law in selling their biased perspective to the world.


The suspension of SANUSI LAMIDO came at a time when he is face to face with the end of his tenure, at a time when he has exposed and stylishly publicize the ongoing fraud in NNPC. To the masses, we considered this as a great step; however, the presidency was sad, it did not expect such fact (a letter from CBN Governor to the President on the missing money) to become a public document to the extent that it was accessed by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who used it in his open letter to the president.


The attitude of the presidency must be magnified a bit here. Is the president expected to feel bad because the high profiled corruption is exposed in the NNPC? Except where the president is involved in the fraud, one will not expect Mr. President to feel sad like a widow who just lost her husband. What is required of a clean from corruption president is to aid and facilitate the due and comprehensive investigation into the fraud.


It is a linkable thought to the above conglomerate of views, inferably; such a malicious suspension of SANUSI is less injurious to SANUSI than the president who is often condemned by the objective Nigerians. Apart from the fact that Sanusi is a professional, he has an unprecedented credible record as the Governor of CBN and he occupies a great space in the heart of good masses of Nigerian. His leadership prowess as the CBN boss cannot be overshadowed by the propagandas propagated by the instrument of the President. When they have not answered the question of where about of $20Billions missing in NNPC, they cannot answer the question we ask not 'that SANUSI is a member of APC' if he is, he has the right to belong to any party of his choice by virtue of the constitution of Nigeria. It is pitiable that we have this species of presidency with frivolity circumference.


I need to flash back here a bit, this unholy suspension is not the first of its kind, the hand of the president is visibly seeing in the scandal of the suspension of Justice Ayo Salami. History will not forget all who are involve in the frustration of the best Justice in Africa who is now a celebrated hero of democracy. It is inferable that the bridge of undiluted justice in Ayo Salami coordinated court is a threat to riggers, at a time the Election petition case against the president was to cross the bridge of an incorruptible justices, the president know quite well he could not pass the test but elsewhere, he intruded into the Judiciary of this country with the support of some unhonourable men in the judiciary, suspended Justice Ayo Salami, the former President of Court of Appeal. For similar reason of fear of persistence and loud truth, he has come to celebrate his culture of unlawful suspension again in the case of the current unholy suspension of the CBN Governor.


How bad is this for him, I mean the president. This gives him no credit in Nigeria and outside the country, it recruit against him more antics that wait for him in 2015. It shows clearly that his favourable to corruption and has no direction for the country. It is not a hurt against SANUSI but against himself, the president. The lovers of the truth hate him the more.


THE CBN ACT IS CLEAR
It takes a flaw lawyer to argue blindly where law is clear. Contrary to what some subjective Newspapers reported, there is no controversy among the Lawyers or the Senior Advocate of Nigeria over the illegality of the suspension and appointment of the new CBN Governor. If Ozakome SAN has only argued not on the point of law, you conclude that he talked not as lawyer nor as Senior Advocate of Nigeria but as a lay man. When we discuss legality and you bring a position without reference to any known law, you have not spoken but peradventure your sentiment.


The reliable and dependable legal icons have loudly condemned the suspension of SANUSI LAMIDO on the point of law. While some lawyers are of the opinion that since the president has only suspended and has not removed the CBN Governor, he has not contravened the provision of CBN Act in Sec 11. Meanwhile, Bar Bamidele Aturu has argued that 'express mention of one thing is the exclusion of another. In other words, if the law has intended that the president exercises such power of suspension over the Governor of CBN, it would have expressly stated so, particularly as the same law provide for the removal of the Governor based on the suspension from his professional practice.'


The suspension of CBN Governor by the president has been condemned by numerous to mention group and persons of patriotic mind, the point of view is unanimous in this matter all because we all want our country to grow. The good numbers of member of House of Representatives, Lagos State House of Assembly, the Social Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SEARAP), Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Committee for Defense of Democracy and Rights of the People (CDRP) and National Congress of Nigeria Students (NACONS) all and many loudly condemn the manner in which SANUSI was suspended by the President. Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice president of Nigeria, insists that for the sake of rule of law entrenchment, SANUSI should explore the court of law to seek redress.


The position made by the Minority Whip of the House of Representative, Samson Osagie is highly objective and commendable when he raised the question of whether the so called Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria has given Sanusi Lamido the constitutional required fair hearing. He worried over the numerous allegations bothering on corruption which the House has thoroughly investigated and presented to the Nigeria President who has failed to act but prefer to act in this instance not recognize by law.


Like a critical question that was raised as to what makes Mr President to remain mute to many corruption indictment of some public officers whose names were sent to the President but failed to act? His attitude to the official indictment and allegation thoroughly conducted by the Law Makers which were forwarded to him and the timing of suspension couple with the sinister art involved show that the President wants SANUSI out for no justifiable reasons using an unwarrantable means. We say summarily that the suspension was heinous and illegal ('the express mention of thing is exclusion of others') - Law is not as fool as to give the power it omits while it gives other powers- we call for well meaning Nigerians to objectively oppose what is wrong where ever it may come from. By now, several cases opposing the illegal act of the Presidency ought of have been challenged by the Human Rights Organizations, and Social Critics and Lawyers, where the court of law is bombarded in the quest to stop democratic tyranny and aberration.


WRITE FROM:
GOOD GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT INITIATIVE. NO11, AMODU FARONBI STREET, ISOLO, LAGOS STATE.

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Articles by Abdulsalam Abdulfatah Liberty