21st February, 2014
Kazeem Ugbodaga
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has faulted President Goodluck Jonathan’s suspension of the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido.
The governor said there was no basis of suspending a man that would have retired in June, wondering why such should be happening now that Sanusi blew the whistle over the $20 billion missing fund.
Fashola, who spoke after inspecting projects in Ikorodu, Imota and Agbowa areas of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Thursday, said the nation’s currency had devalued greatly, saying he did not understand the economic strategies the government is putting in place.
“If the man is going in June, there must be a sense in the messaging about executive tampering with the independence of Central Bank of Nigeria. This has economic consequence for investor position.
“This isn’t a suspension but sack. This is because there was no power to sack him. And they have considered the implication. That was why they said that he should go on suspension,” he lamented.
According to Fashola, if someone in his government told him about missing money, he would not dare to sack anybody without concluding the investigation rather than suspending the person who blew the whistle.
“For me really, if someone in my government tells me that some money is missing and without concluding any investigation, they suspended the person who blew the whistle. It is when the audit is concluded that they can now decide what to do to the man.
“But now, before the completion of the audit, they have sacked the man who alerted the head of the government that money is missing. So what message is the presidency sending out to Nigerians on corruption and others who may want to reveal any atrocity committee in the country?
“The message the presidency is sending out is that Nigerians should keep quiet whenever they see any corruption perpetrated in the country. That is not a good sign for the country,” he said.