PRESIDENT JONATHAN AND GOVERNOR SANUSI IN NIGERIAN POLITICS

Source: thewillnigeria.com

I am on record for calling on Mr.
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to resign his post as the governor of Nigeria's Central Bank.

I want to be on record as one insisting that the Mr.

Jonathan should not fire him.
Please read this last sentence carefully.
I used SHOULD NOT fire as opposed to CANNOT fire.
I did not use cannot fire because I do not know enough law to make such a statement.

I will leave that to the likes of Mr.
Seyi Awofeso and Mr.
Emeka Ugwuonye and other lawyers in our mist who tout their legal expertise.

From the little I know, I feel that the CBN governor has a level of protection from interference from the executive and legislative branches of government and that both must work jointly to remove a sitting CBN governor from office.

But for now let's assume that Mr.
Jonathan can legally fire him.
My advice is that Mr.
Jonathan should not even do so.
1.
    Mr.
Sanusi's terms of service will expire in six months.

It would be smarter to just let him go in peace.
If Mr.
Jonathan survived him the last four years, he can do so for another 6 months 2.

    Mr.
Sanusi has already fired himself the day he mailed his letter to Mr.

Jonathan especially from the day his letter proved to be false.

He has lost all his credibility, the most important asset he had and would ever have.

People already know that he has neither the ears of the president nor the ears of his colleagues in the economic council.

He has little standing in the congress since his assertion that 25% of the Federal Government expenditure is done by the Congress.

3.
    His subordinates are already promoting themselves to take over from him.

He no longer has their loyalty.
In other words he could no longer implement his policies or that of the government.

Even if he wants to take as much of FG money as he wants, his subordinates would not cover his tracks; if anything they would expose any malfeasance of his.

4.
    Mr.
Sanusi has no future in Nigeria.
He cannot run for the presidency (if in doubt check what happened when Mr.

Soludo tried for the Governor of Anambra).
Established politicians would not give him the time of the day.

His next big job is the Emir of Kano, a position he covets.

5.
    The political backlash for Mr.
Jonathan would not be worth the effort.
It might even buy Mr.
Sanusi some sympathy.
6.
    Finally, and this is the most important point: gentlemen do not kick other gentlemen when they are down.

Mr.
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is already down.
I stated earlier that I do not know if Mr.
Jonathan can sack Mr.
Sanusi.
My vague understanding is that he could be sacked only for high crimes and misdemeanors.

I do not know if false accusations rise to that level.

I do not know under what circumstances Mr.
Olusegun Obasanjo got a copy of the letter or how what was supposed to be a conversation between CBN governor and the president became public information.

I do not know if official secrets acts were violated, and even if it was, that it could be grounds for impeachment.

Both men have dozens of SANS behind them and I am sure they are receiving high level consultations but from personal experience as a manager, I would have left Mr.

Sanusi dangling for 6 months.
That would be punishment enough.
Written By Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba Boston, Massachusetts

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