Court bars SSS, AGF, others from arresting Sanusi

Mallam Lamido Sanusi

A Federal High Court sitting in  Lagos on Friday granted an order restraining the State Security Services and the Inspector General of Police, Mallam Mohammed Abubakar, and all the agencies of the Federal Government from arresting the suspended governor of  the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Lamido Sanusi.

Justice Ibrahim Buba granted the order in chamber after hearing Sanusi’s ex parte application shortly after it was duly filed on Friday.

The order is to subsist pending the hearing of the suit. The court adjourned till February 28, before which time parties in the suit were expected to have been served.

The court order came as the suspended CBN governor accused  President Goodluck Jonathan administration of shielding corrupt government officials.

In an interview granted the Voice of America (Hausa Service), shortly after his suspension on Thursday, Sanusi   accused the President  of doing  nothing to punish corrupt officials in his cabinet.

He cited the case of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who he said,  publicly  admitted that she spent N3.5bn of tax-payers’ money on kerosene subsidy without appropriation, on live television.

He said, “The minister of Petroleum Resources appeared before the National Assembly in front of television cameras and admitted that she spent N3.5bn of tax-payers’ money on kerosene subsidy without appropriation, nothing was done.”.

The  former CBN governor had vowed to pursue the matter in court to safeguard the bank’s autonomy and protect the nation’s economy against abuse of power shortly after the President suspended him on Thursday.

“He said, “I am also letting the people know that we believe that the President does not have the powers to suspend the CBN governor.

“I have no intention of returning to the job but we are going to court to confirm whether or not the President has powers to suspend the CBN governor.

“If we don’t do this, tomorrow another governor of the CBN will not be able to work and the President can suspend him.

“In the interest of the (autonomy) of the Bank itself and that of the nation, it is important to go to court.”

Represented by the former Attorney-General of Lagos State, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN),  and Kola Awodein (SAN),  Sanusi, clad in a jalamia and a red cap, appeared at the Lagos court for about 20 minutes on Friday.

The Presidency had on Thursday hinged the suspension of the apex bank governor, who is due for retirement in June, on his financial recklessness in office.

But, criticisms have continued to follow the suspension, with the Northern Elders’ Forum describing it as part of a growing disdain for constructive criticism by the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.

The spokesman for the NEF, Professor Ango Abdullahi, expressed the views of the NEF in a telephone interview with Saturday PUNCH in Abuja on Friday.

He said it was sad that the administration had resorted to diversionary tactics to shield corrupt officials.

Abdullahi said, “This is another testimony from the stable of this government which shows clearly that it is insensitive to constructive ideas and criticism and it is unwilling to take action on established cases of corruption.

“Allegations of corruption in this government are so many and so rampant that we are almost losing count. It is absolutely clear that this government led by Goodluck Jonathan is totally aware of this and is doing nothing about it.

“All these campaigns, they hide behind the issues, claiming that they are being hunted by other parts of the country; forgetting that he is sitting as the President of Nigeria and that without the support of these parts, he wouldn’t have been President.”

The spokesman noted that if some parts of the north had not sold out, Jonathan would not be sitting as President today.

“The removal of Sanusi in a way is showing the President’s dislike for this section of the country.”

Also, the Kano Emirate Council has called on the Federal Government to review the suspension of the CBN Governor in the interest of equity, justice and fairness.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that a member of the Emirate Council and Wali of Kano, Alhaji Mahe Bashir-Wali, made the call while briefing newsmen in Kano on Friday.

He said, “It is our view that the Federal Government should, as a matter of urgency, review this issue by following laid down procedures in the suspension of public officers for equity, justice and fairness.

“As a law-abiding organisation, we believe that adherence to the rule of law is paramount and important to any government, more importantly a democratically elected government which preaches and ensures adherence to the rule of law.

“Democracy will never mature if we personalise governance. We need to build an institution, we need to build our democracy, and commitment to public accountability is part of building institutions.’’

Bashir-Wali said the Emirate was in support of the stand of the National Assembly on the issue.

Also, the All Progressives Congress Caucus in the Senate on Friday night demanded the immediate reinstatement of Sanusi as CBN governor.

The Minority leader of the Upper Chamber, Senator George Akume, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Friday.

The senators noted that the nation “had yet again been confronted with another act by the President, which is inimical to good governance and the rule of law with the illegal suspension from office of the Governor of Central Bank, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.”

Akume said,”While one may not question the prerogative of Mr. President to hire and fire, such actions must be guided by strict observance to laid down processes and in the overriding national interest.”

He said, “The suspension of the CBN Governor has raised more questions than it addresses the issue of good governance,  accountability and the fight against corruption, especially  coming at a time when there are unresolved issues in the petroleum industry, which is known locally and internationally as a cesspool of corruption.

“The whistle-blower who should know it all is being illegally and unconstitutionally suspended to safeguard and protect the perpetrators of corruption in the petroleum industry.

“Now that the President has acted illegally and unconstitutionally, he should also now act legally and constitutionally by firing the Petroleum Minister and the top management of the NNPC to restore confidence in the sector.”

Akume noted that the  President had serially violated the Nigerian constitution, which he swore to uphold.  He said, “The suspension of the CBN Governor by the President is not only an abuse of power but also a gross violation of the Central Bank Act, 2007.

“Under the provisions of Section 11(2) (f) of the CBN Act, the President can only remove the CBN Governor where his request is supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We condemn in very strong terms this very unfortunate, unjustified, unwarranted and illegal removal of the Governor of Central Bank, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, under the guise of suspension.

“We call for the immediate reinstatement of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

“Meanwhile, our lawyers are scrutinising breaches and flagrant violations of our laws by Mr. President for appropriate and necessary action.