Nigeria’s National Assembly could not reach a consensus on
the suspension of the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on Thursday.
The President, in a statement by his Special Adviser on
media, Reuben Abati, had, earlier in the day, announced the suspension of the vocal bank administrator, alleging
financial impropriety and breach of relevant laws guiding the management of the
apex bank.
The House of Representative had a rowdy session debating the
suspension of Mr. Sanusi shortly after it was announced with members dividing
along party lines.
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party pitted their tent with
the Presidency over the suspension, insisting that Sanusi did overreach his bounds as the CBN governor.
In his reaction a member of the House of Representatives,
Ralph Igbokwe (PDP-Imo) said that the President acted within his powers.
According to him, the CBN was a Public institution, adding
that the governor could not operate outside the laws and rules governing the
public service.
Igbokwe said that since Accounting Standards Board had
raised a lot issues, it was appropriate for the president to suspend Sanusi.
But, for members of the main opposition, All Progressives
Congress, the President lacks the power to unilaterally take any action against
a CBN governor without recourse to the approval of the Senate.
In his comment, Femi Gbajabiamila, a member of APC from
Lagos state and minority whip in the House of Representatives, faulted the
Presidency’s action, particularly, the timing.
"For good reason the CBN Governors the world over are
independent and autonomous. To remove him you need confirmation and buy-in of
the Senate. You cannot do it through the back door.
“It becomes more worrisome when you consider the timing and
the fact that the CBN Governor has just blown the lid off a monumental scandal
involving the disappearance of 20 billion dollars from our coffers,’ the
lawyer-turned-politician said.
The case was the same at the upper chamber of the National
Assembly.
While some PDP Senators have thrown their weight behind
President Jonathan on the suspension, the APC members took a collective
exception.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Publicity, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia), told journalists in Abuja that the President was in order since he did not announce outright sack of Sanusi
“The President only suspended Sanusi, he did not sack him. So he acted accordingly,’’ he said.
But, speaking on behalf of the APC caucus in Nigeria’s Senate,
Babafemi Ojudu, a lawmaker from Ekiti state, described the suspension as
illegal.
“Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Senate hereby unequivocally
condemn the action of the President as absolutely illegal, and, therefore,
reject it in its entirety. While we will not engage the President on his
allegations against Malam Sanusi, we want to refer him to the relevant CBN Act
of 2007 on the appointment and removal of the CBN Governor.
“According to Section 11(2) of the Act, “THE CBN GOVERNOR,
DEPUTY GOVERNOR OR DIRECTOR SHALL (ONLY) CEASE TO HOLD OFFICE IN THE BANK IF
HE: (f) IS REMOVED BY THE PRESIDENT, PROVIDED THAT THE REMOVAL OF THE GOVERNOR
SHALL BE SUPPORTED BY TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY OF THE SENATE PRAYING THAT HE BE SO
REMOVED.
“By unilaterally removing the CBN Governor without recourse
to two-thirds majority of the Senate as the CBN Act 2007 provides, the
President has acted illegally. As we
work hard at strengthening our Democracy and the Rule of Law, the APC Senate
Caucus will not sit by and watch the President whimsically offend the relevant
laws,” a statement signed by Mr. Ojudu reads in parts.
“The APC Senate Caucus calls on the President to withdraw
the unconstitutional suspension of Malam Sanusi as the CBN Governor. It is
imperative that the President go through the proper channel by seeking
two-thirds majority of the Senate if he must remove the CBN Governor, as the
law demands.”
Just as it announced Sanusi’s suspension, the presidency
said Mrs. Sarah Alade, Deputy Governor (Economic Policy), would take charge in
acting capacity pending the conclusion of investigations launched against the
suspended CBN governor.
The President has also forwarded the named of Godwin
Emefiele, the current chief executive officer of Zenith Bank, to the Senate for
approval for replacement of Sanusi as CBN chief.
Whether that would fly is another story entirely.
Meanwhile, Sanusi has indicated his resolve to challenge the suspension in court.
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