SANUSI ACTING OUT ANTI-SOUTH AGENDA -FASEHUN

As controversy continues to trail various policies of the Central Bank Governor (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, president and founder of the O'dua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Fredrick Fasehun, has said  the CBN boss appears to be  pursuing an anti-South agenda in the banking sector.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Friday, Fasehun said: 'The mission of Lamido in the Central Bank of Nigeria will remain suspect as long as he fumbles from one negative policy thrust to another.

'The question this Fulani prince must answer is whether he was not actually foisted on Nigeria to protect the interest of the oligarchy and whittle down the South's interest in the financial sector..'

He wondered why Sanusi was bent on selling some of the rescued banks even when the shareholders were ready to inject fresh funds into the banks to make them more buoyant.

Fasehun also accused the CBN boss of not exhibiting enough creativity in the discharge of his duties as the head of the nation's apex bank, especially as it concerns the establishment of  Islamic Banks in the country. He said the establishment of Islamic banks in the country as being championed by Sanusi was a potential source of conflict and implored President Goodluck Jonathan to direct the CBN to drop the idea.

While expressing support for non-interest banking, Fasehun said any banking with unconstitutional religious content must not be allowed in the country. However, he said nothing stops any bank from having a product on Islamic banking.

The OPC leader said: 'The proposal for Islamic banks being floated by the Central Bank of Nigeria has inflamed passion and pitched sections of the country against each other. The fact is that Nigerians have fallen apart even before the bank begins operation, and that is a dangerous signal. Religious leaders are at daggers drawn, threatening both armed and legal struggle whichever way the government decides. Non-interest banking is not evil. But Nigeria has a peculiar situation; and the meat that may suit other countries may be poison to act.

'The timing is wrong. Today, in Moslem-dominated, Sharia-subscribing, Islamic-proclaiming parts of Northern Nigeria, churches are being burnt, with mosques burnt in retaliation. Christians are being killed, with Moslems killed in retaliation. This particularly calls for the country to tread with caution on the matter of a religion-based banking.'