Several Reactions Trail Sanusi’s Suspension

The suspension of Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday, drew mixed reactions across the country.
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While the Federal Government, through the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, sought to calm fears of turbulence in the economy with an assurance that tight monetary policies would be sustained, the National Assembly was sharply divided along partisan lines.
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The All Progressives Congress (APC) on its part flayed the suspension as a brazen act of illegality that was poorly thought out and in bad taste. The party said that the suspension would negatively impact the economy.
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Reactions to the development also came from Governor Babatunde Fashola, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, civil rights activist, Bamidele Aturu among others.
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Dr Rueben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, had in an unusual early morning announcement on his twitter handle at about 9.00 a.m, yesterday disclosed the suspension of the governor of the Central Bank in a statement.
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In a statement in Lagos, yesterday, by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC said the action was the clearest indication yet that President Jonathan, whose body language does not. abhor corruption, is willing to silence any whistle-blower, no matter his or her status.
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Suspension to divert public attention from missing $20bn NNPC fund — Fashola Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, on his part, condemned the suspension, saying it was meant to divert public attention from the missing $20 billion Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, fund.
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Fashola stated: “This is not a suspension but a sack. This is because there was no power to sack him and they have considered the implication.
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That was why they said that he should go on suspension.”The governor in an interview with newsmen after inspecting some of the ongoing Lagos projects, lamented that immediately after the president announced the suspension of the apex bank governor, “our money devalued by four points immediately.
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“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, CBN. This has economic consequence for investor position.
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“The missing fund complained about by Sanusi has started resurfacing. This is now magician economy. The N7 million NNPC paid back, where did they get it and why are they paying back?”
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Also, human rights lawyer, Mr Bamidele Aturu, argued that President Jonathan flouted the law.