NIGERIA: The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, told former president, Goodluck Jonathan, that he sacked him as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) contrary to the latter’s claim that he was only suspended for investigation into alleged missing $49.8 billion.
The monarch jokingly told the former president that he “constructively sacked him,” reports Vanguard.
He was responding to Jonathan who had, earlier, at the launch of a book: ‘Public Policy and Agents Interests: Perspectives From The Emerging World,’ dismissed a claim by him that he was booted out of CBN’s leadership position because he exposed corruption allegedly perpetrated by the government.
Recall that Sanusi co-authored the book written by Dr Shamshudeen Usman, who served as Minister of Planning under Jonathan’s administration.
Jonathan had dismissed Sanusi’s claim in the book that he was sacked after he revealed that $49.8 billion was stolen under his watch.
Reacting however, Sanusi, who took to the podium hours after Jonathan’s comment, insisted that he was sacked by Jonathan.
Sanusi however said he was constructively sacked by the then president.
“My boss who sacked me. I was constructively dismissed. I continue to respect Jonathan and I don’t have grudges against anyone,” he said as he delivered a short message at the event he presided as Royal Father of the Day.
In a separate development, the monarch decried what he described as the frustration of Dangote Refinery, saying Nigeria is supposed to be maximising the benefits of ending fuel importation rather with the establishment of the refinery.
Emir Sanusi: Intrigues, power-play that led to ouster as CBN Governor in 2013, Kano monarch in 2020.
The emir regretted that the privately owned refinery is being frustrated because of vested interests.
“Instead of grabbing this opportunity , we are frustrating it. This is due to vested interests,” he said.
He noted that for years, the Nigerian state has been captured by a rental state.
“People get into office and what they think is how much they can get from the state,” he said.
The emir, who noted that the chief author of the book lectured him in university, expressed joy that Usman, as one of the longest serving public officials, has never been invited by the nation’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
