Former CBN Governor ,Lamido Sanusi Sues Jonathan Over ‘Illegal’ Suspension

Ousted Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has finally concretised his threat to sue President Goodluck Jonathan over his removal as head of the bank last week. According to a suit filed at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja late on Monday, Sanusi is challenging his suspension from office; and he has implored the court to, among others, restrain the president. He is also seeking an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from obstructing, disturbing, stopping or preventing him in any manner, from performing the functions of his office and enjoying in full, the statutory powers and privileges attached to the office of the governor of the CBN.

Sanusi stated clearly that he was challenging the president’s power to suspend him from office, especially as the Senate was not approached to ratify the decision. “I have been informed, and I verily believe the information given to me by Senator Bukola Saraki to be true and correct that the Senate did not give the president any support for my purported suspension and removal from office as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria”, a part of the document read.

He described his suspension as a contravention of provisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act relating to the appointment and removal of the CBN Governor. He therefore branded the act an unlawful interference in the administration and management of the apex bank, which is illegal, null and void.

President Goodluck Jonathan suspended Sanusi Lamido as CBN Governor on 20th February 2014, claiming reliance on a report of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) that indicted the governor of “financial recklessness and misconduct”. But the widespread belief is that Sanusi’s suspension was triggered by his well-documented outspokenness, particularly his recent revelation of NNPC’s failure to remit $20bn in crude oil sales to the federation account. During his presidential media chat yesterday, Jonathan claimed that Sanusi remains the governor of CBN, yet the president nominated both an Acting Governor and a substantive replacement for Sanusi exactly on the day his suspension was announced

SR.