Sanusi May Return As CBN Gov

President Goodluck Jonathan has explained that he did not sack the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, from office as some may have been thinking, but only asked him to step aside to allow investigation into allegations of financial recklessness by the Financial Reporting Council’s report.

President Jonathan also noted that if the investigation absolves the former nation’s chief banker, he would be allowed to return as the CBN Governor to finish his term, which ends in June 2014.

He stressed further that Sanusi’s suspension was not politically motivated, noting that as the President, he has an “absolute power to suspend the CBN governor.”

“Sanusi’s suspension is not political. Sanusi needed to step aside for the board (FRC) to do their job,” said the President.

“Let me also make it clear that I did not sack the CBN Governor. I only asked him to step aside from office. There were allegations levelled against him by the FRC report and for him not to frustrate the investigation, I asked him to step aside. This is the common practice everywhere.

“Sanusi may come back tomorrow or next tomorrow as the CBN Governor if he has no case to answer. He would be allowed to finish his tenure which ends in June,” Jonathan explained.

Speaking on the nomination of Godwin Emefiele, Managing Director of Zenith Bank, as Sanusi’s successor, Jonathan revealed that Emefiele was pushed to the Senate for confirmation so as to have someone on ground to resume immediately as CBN Governor when Sanusi’s tenure ends in June.

The President also explained that he needed to let the international communities know that there won’t be a vacuum in CBN when Sanusi’s eventually leaves office in four months time.

“I nominated Emefiele and sent his name to the Senate for confirmation so that even if Sanusi is returned to finish his tenure, he (Emefiele) will immediately takeover from Sanusi and resume as the CBN Governor immediately. For now, the position is being occupied in an acting capacity (by Serah Alade).”

Jonathan also urged Nigerians and the media not to create unnecessary distractions with the Sanusi issue. “All kinds of write-ups on Sanusi’s suspension because should stop because they are unnecessary distractions.”

He further said that the CBN Governor’s suspension was not because of his stand on the alleged missing $20 billion naira.

“Sanusi’s whistle blowing is not connected to his suspension, $20 billion is a lot of money, even $1 billion can produce a lot of jobs for Nigerians.” He, however, said that, “I don’t know which to believe of Sanusi’s different figures of missing money.”

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