Stop Misinforming The Public, Presidency Warns Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

The Presidency has warned the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of

Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to desist from misinforming the public and

the international community but rather respond to charges of financial

recklessness, gross misconduct among others levelled against him by the

Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria.
This was contain in a statement by the President's spokesperson, Reuben

Abati.
The statement reads;
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.