Embattled Governor of the Central
Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, yesterday, went before a Federal High
Court siting in Abuja to challenge the powers of President Goodluck Jonathan to
suspend him from office.
President Goodluck Jonathan and
Lamido Sanusi
In the suit he filed through a
consortium of lawyers led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Kola
Awodein, Sanusi, told the high court that his purported suspension was as
a result of some discrepancies he discovered in respect of amounts repatriated
to the federation account from the proceed of crude oil sales between the
period of January, 2012 and July, 2013.
He maintained that his sin was that
upon discovering the financial anomalies, he had cause to inform the National
Assembly considering the fact that the revenue of the federation and the
national economy was directly affected.
He further insisted before the court
that his purported suspension by President Jonathan was aimed at punishing him
for the disclosures he made with regards to how revenue that accrued to the
federation was being mismanaged.
Sanusi contended that the President
did not approach or obtained the support of the Senate, saying his discussions
with several lawmakers including Senator Bukola Saraki, confirmed that the
decision to oust him from office was unilaterally taken by the Presidency.
Consequently, he urged the court to
restrain President Jonathan, the Attorney General of the Federation and the
Inspector General of Police, from giving effect to his purported suspension
from office as the CBN Governor, pending the determination of his suit.
Besides, he begged the court to make
an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from
obstructing,disturbing, stopping or preventing him from in any manner
whatsoever from performing the functions of his office as the Governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria and enjoying in full, the statutory powers and
privileges attached to the office of the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria.
In an affidavit he deposed in
support of the suit, Sanusi averred: “I have been informed, and I verily
believe the information given to me by senator Bukola Saraki to be true and
correct that the senate did not give the President any support for my purported
suspension and removal from office as the Governor of the Central Bank of
Nigeria”
Sanusi told the court that his
interlocutory application was necessary considering the issues raised in the
suit, saying delay would entail irreparable and serious damage and mischief on
him in the exercise of his statutory duties as the CBN Governor.
He urged the court to exercise its
discretion in his favour by granting the interlocutory injunctions as the
President’s continued unlawful interference with the management and
administration of the apex bank, unless arrested, poses grave danger for
Nigerian economy.
It was his prayer that the court
should order the maintenance of status quo ante bellum, which he said should be
that he should return to his office as the Governor of the CBN.
Sanusi further averred that the
actions of the President in suspending him from office was contrary to
provisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act relating to the appointment and
removal of the CBN Governor.
He said his purported suspension,
“amounts to unlawful interference in the administration and management of the
apex bank and is therefore illegal, null and void.”
He said it would be in the interest
of Justice for the court to grant all his prayers.
Meanwhile, the suit, dated February
24, is yet to be assigned to any judge for hearing.
- Source: www.vanguardngr.com
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