A coalition of civil society organisations in Abuja, Centre for Conscious Living Against Corruption in Nigeria, has called for the resignation of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi over what it described as incessant violations of ethics of public conduct, fiscal responsibility and due diligence in the discharge of his duties as the chief banker of the nation.
Spokesman for the Centre, Dr. Gabriel Nwambu, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja, cited some donations made by the CBN governor as well as untrue statements allegedly made by him as constituting acts of abuse of office and negligence.
Some of the donations allegedly made by the CBN governor for which the coalition seeks his exit include the donation of N4 billion to Bayero University, Kano; N10 billion to Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto; N135 million to Niger and Kano states; N500 million to University of Benin.
Nwambu said: “2 sub sections a-e of the CBN Act (2007) clearly spells out the functions of the bank as: (a) ensure monetary and price stability (b) issue legal tender currency in Nigeria;
(c) maintain external reserves to safeguard the international value of the legal tender currency;
(d) promote a sound financial system in Nigeria and (e) act as banker and provide economic and financial advice to the Federal Government.
“In view of the clearly spelt out functions of the CBN in the legal instrument that set it up, it is clearly illegal and unlawful for Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to have paid out public funds as donations in the stated manner.”
Also citing the recent allegation by the CBN governor that $49 billion was missing from the national treasury, a claim which Sanusi later described as an error, the non-governmental organisation said Mallam Sanusi displayed gross incompetence which was unbecoming of a person of his status.
In the words of the coalition spokesperson: “Such an ‘error’ (if it was indeed one), should never have come from a CBN governor worth his salt! It was the expectation of most Nigerians that Mallam Sanusi would have done the needful by honourably tendering his resignation letter upon the occurrence of such a major mischievous statement capable of running down Nigeria’s economic standing in the eyes of the international business community.
“ It is in the light of these developments and in our utmost desire to protect the integrity of the nation’s apex bank that we demand that Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi should immediately tender his resignation as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
