Former President Goodluck Jonathan and the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), now Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, clashed publicly yesterday over Sanusi’s dismissal from office.
Sanusi, in a book co-authored with former Minister of Finance, Shamsudeen Usman, claimed that Jonathan removed him for exposing the alleged theft of $49.8 billion from the government during his administration.
Jonathan, however, responded by saying that Sanusi was only suspended, not sacked, following a Financial Reporting Council (FRC) inquiry into questionable CBN expenses. Jonathan further clarified that if Sanusi’s tenure hadn’t expired, he would have been reinstated.
Speaking at the launch of the book “Public Policy and Agents’ Interests: Perspectives from the Emerging World,” Jonathan explained that Sanusi’s suspension was due to serious financial infractions raised by the FRC, not because of whistleblowing.
He also expressed skepticism about the alleged missing funds, noting that Nigeria’s budget at the time was $31.6 billion, and such a large sum of money could not have disappeared without severe consequences.
Jonathan pointed out that Sanusi’s initial claim of $49.8 billion later shifted to $20 billion and eventually to $12 billion, and an investigation by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) found no evidence of such theft, though $1.48 billion was unaccounted for by the NNPC. Additionally, the Senate Finance Committee, led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, found no basis for the claims.
Sanusi, who took the stage after Jonathan, stood by his assertion, humorously stating that he had been “constructively dismissed” by Jonathan, but held no grudge. He reaffirmed that his dismissal was linked to the allegations of missing funds, despite Jonathan’s insistence otherwise.
In a separate part of his address, Sanusi lamented the challenges faced by the Dangote Refinery, attributing the issues to vested interests hindering the country’s efforts to end fuel importation. He criticized the Nigerian government for being captured by rent-seekers, who prioritize personal gain over national development.
The event also featured the unveiling of the Shamsuddeen Usman Foundation (SUF), established by Usman’s children to promote education and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nigeria.
Sanusi praised Usman, a long-serving public official, for never being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), calling it a rare achievement.
, now Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, clashed publicly yesterday over Sanusi’s dismissal from office.){kind=link}