by Kingsley Ahanonu

The point, therefore, is if the government had felt compelled by the many recklessness and incompetence of SLS to send him packing, it should have done the stipulated needful outright by asking the senate to grant it the required two-third approval to show the man the way out; instead of the storm it has so uncannily placed itself.

Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, in being vocal, had exerted audacity in speaking more than he’s seen and has so made his mouth his very entrapment.

The nation is awash with the ouster of Mallam SLS. His removal that, to some key sector players, was long over-due, came as an imminent surprise to the man himself and the many others around.

That Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is on suspension is no news. However, the manner by which he was disengaged has become the reliable basis for controversy.

All the same, we could afford to reminisce on the time of Sanusi as CBN’s head and his many prominent landmarks. SLS, in the course of wielding his sensitive position as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria took many policy decisions, stepped on so many toes and made many statements, albeit inflammatory; that stood him out as the most controversial governor in the history of the CBN.

Of his decisions as apex banker of the country are those that positively impacted on the economy and brought him nay the nation accolades.

His many laurels for banking exploits included: African Banker of the year 2010 and global Central Bank governor of the year 2010 by Financial Time magazine; Central Bank governor for Sub-Saharan Africa in 2013 by Emerging Market Economy and 2010 Central Bank governor by The Banker, among others.

He was widely celebrated just as he was also besmirched.

Among his policy-decisions that sorely afflicted some notable players in the banking sector, is the one that led to the hurried usurpation of the administrative autonomies of three banks in the name of nationalization for unverified allegations. These banks have since been re-christened in perfecting such heinous denial.

It is not out of public knowledge the many financial jamborees of the Kano prince. In the exercise of his autonomy, Sanusi spent public funds at will. In traversing the length and breadth of the land, he doled out money recklessly to institutions and agencies where he readily mounted the rostrums to exhibit his garrulous lectures of dubitable facts. From UNIBEN, Benin to Uthman Dan Fodio, Sokoto down to Bayero University, Kano, he generously made them have a feel of the national cake. I learnt he had the constitutional liberties; but his was an utter abuse of freedom.

In his seeming penchant for anti-government remarks, he stepped on toes. First, he irked the National assembly and in no distant time, the executive found him exasperating.

And gradually the former CEO of First Bank fell out with the administration he was to continue his service with. The posture of the chief financial officer became heatingly unbearable to his paymaster.

According to the presidency, the reports of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria found him wanting having indicted SLS for gross irresponsibility.

The federal government, on its side, might be right in its adduced reasons for the hasty removal of the apex banker, however, there are pertinent issues that rises to make the process skew-whiff.

The suspension of the CBN governor raises an eye brow. It’s such a swift particle that has got the eye blinking. The timing in the wielding of the hammer instigates the undeniable suspicion within the polity; a case of if you can’t shut him up, ship him out. It could be acquiesced to that he opened his mouth to disconcertment, but is that a fair approach to seal his lips?

The incidence coming up at a sensitive time like this when critical issue bothering on financial misappropriations in the economy are being raised smacks of a great concern for decency in the true intent of the action.

Sanusi, as the chief banker of the federal government had made some startling revelations that had put to public scrutiny the sincere efforts of the Jonathan’s administration in waging the war against corruption. His figures, though contradictory and liable to distrust, are not at all, wishes that should be waved with the hands; not by the government and never by any well-meaning citizen.

Aside from looking at SLS from the perspective of his infidelity in making spurious and unverified claims and his susceptibility to the allegations of impropriety and financial recklessness relied upon by the presidency as the basis for his abrupt suspension- which though is a matter for urgent outcry, Nigerians should also not fail to demand an unshrouded scrutiny on the whereabouts of the amounts so revealed and the immediate bringing to book of anyone therein fingered.

The necessary step of ensuring that the sounded alerts are investigated should be given its priority and if the wolf becomes discovered, it is statutorily responsible that the needful be done. However, if the cry is found to be false, at least, the required has been done. The rashness or loquacity of Mallam Sanusi should not be distraction, in any form, to the on-going effort to unravel the skeletons that have begun to shake the closet.

Whether the amount involved is $49bn as SLS had earlier alleged, or $20bn as he most recently affirmed with a miff of unequivocality; and even if we could finally settle with the $10.8bn to which both the coordinating minister of the economy and her counter-part in the scathed petroleum ministry acceded to as having never being remitted by the NNPC, we would all agree without much effort that it’s a humongous amount that’s being played down with. And this should give us great concern.

It should because if we realise the effects of, going by the least $10.8bn, what impact it would create in a nation bedevilled by poverty. We should cry foul because the ‘mere’ $10.8bn dribbled over is that whooping N1.62trn or more as we have it in our local currency that should have been channelled into the creation of massive employment, in revamping our nation’s health sectors, the uplift it could have wrought in infrastructures and towards the rebuilding of our dilapidated highways.

It is for this reason that the decision of the presidency to dismiss him even when it is clear he had only three months to spare is viewed wrongly. I suspect an ulterior motive.

Even if the federal government wishes to silence the suspicion by the mouthy bait in the proofs of Mr Sanusi’s cup of ‘financial recklessness and misconduct which are inconsistent with the administration’s vision of an economy propelled by the core values of focused management, prudence…’ as having become full, it still couldn’t placate the conscious minds as to the manner of his sack; there is still a faulty gape in the manner by which he was disgraced.

At least, the sanctity of the law should have been preserved in following the legally recognized media for his exit. There are extant laws for the removal of a Central Bank Governor in the event that he is found wanting in his functions as prescribed by section 6(11f) of the CBN Act.

The use of ‘suspension’ to conceal and give furnished credence to this brazen illegality stirs up some questions. In asking him to step aside, was he to be subjected to investigative scrutiny and if yes, what initially produced the reasons on which the federal government of Jonathan held on to? Or is he to be subjected to another scrutiny for failing in his duty after FRCN had found him wanting?

The point, therefore, is if the government had felt compelled by the many recklessness and incompetence of SLS to send him packing, it should have done the stipulated needful outright by asking the senate to grant it the required two-third approval to show the man the way out; instead of the storm it has so uncannily placed itself.

The suspension of Sanusi, though seemingly over-due, beats more than the eye can meet; it breached established procedure.

God save Nigeria!

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.