Respond To Charges Against You And Stop Misinforming The Public- Presidency Tells Sanusi

Here is a press statement sent in from the State house;

We have noted with disappointment, the unrelenting attempt
by the  Governor of the Central Bank of
Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to falsely portray his recent suspension from
office as an attempt by the Presidency to bury his allegation that huge sums of
money due to the Federation Account are unaccounted for by the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The Presidency wishes to reaffirm that Mallam Sanusi’s
suspension has absolutely nothing to do with his unproven and inconsistent
claim that $49.8 Billion, $12 Billion or $20 Billion is missing from the
national treasury.

As was clearly stated in the letter suspending him from
office and confirmed by President Goodluck Jonathan in his last Presidential
Media Chat, Mallam Sanusi’s suspension was wholly based on the need for him to
step aside while the weighty charges of financial recklessness, gross
misconduct and persistent disregard for laid down rules and regulations in the
management of the Central Bank made against him by the Financial Reporting
Council of Nigeria and others are properly investigated.

It is most unfortunate that instead of trying to provide
some reasonable response to the clear and unambiguous query of his official
conduct as Governor of the Central Bank, Mallam Sanusi  has cynically chosen to whip up public
sympathy for himself and anger against the Federal Government by deliberately
misleading unwary Nigerians and the international community into believing the
falsehood that he is being punished for exposing corruption.

In recent days, the suspended CBN Governor has, following in
the footsteps of others who have an axe to grind with the government, taken to
spreading his false claims and allegations through gullible foreign media
correspondents, telling them among other things that his threat to force
commercial banks to open up their books to unravel the whereabouts of the
“missing” funds whether $49.8 Billion, $12 Billion or $20 Billion, ultimately
led to his suspension.

He also continues to make the mischievous claim that the
government is somehow involved in a scam to divert huge sums of money from the
Federation Account through the misappropriation of kerosene subsidy funds.

Mallam Sanusi’s allegations are patently untrue. But
Government is making no effort to bury them as he falsely claims. Relevant
committees of the National Assembly are still investigating the claims and the
suspended CBN Governor remains free to give evidence before them in support of
his allegations.

Furthermore, in keeping with its avowed commitment to full
transparency, openness and accountability in governmental affairs, the Federal
Government has authorized the engagement of reputable international firms for
the recommended forensic audit of NNPC accounts.

The Presidency condemns Mallam Sanusi’s resort to playing
politics with serious national issues. 
His suggestion that the phantom missing funds may have been diverted to
fund campaigns for next year’s general elections is mischievous, irresponsible
and designed to incite other political parties and members of the public
against the Federal Government. 

The claim which amounts to cheap blackmail against the
government and was clearly made in furtherance of a selfish personal agenda is
most unbecoming of someone who still holds the High Office of Governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria.

The Presidency would not ordinarily have wished to join
issues with Mallam Sanusi who as CBN Governor remains an appointee of the
President, but the very unacceptable manner in which Sanusi has been
misinforming the public made it imperative that this statement be issued.