By Sunday Ejike Benjamin
The suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Lamido Sanusi has dragged President Goodluck Jonathan before a Federal High Court, Abuja over his suspension from office.
Sanusi, in a suit filed through his lawyer, Kola Awodein, (SAN), is asking the court to restrain the President, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police from giving effect to his purported suspension from office as the Governor of the CBN, pending the determination of the suit.
He is equally asking the court to make an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants “from obstructing, disturbing, stopping or preventing him, in any manner whatsoever, from performing the functions of his office as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and enjoying in full, the statutory powers and privileges attached to the office.”
Sanusi maintained that any delay in granting his prayers might cause irreparable and serious damage and mischief on him in the exercise of his statutory duties as the CBN Governor.
He said, “The President’s continuing unlawful interference with the management and administration of the apex bank, unless arrested, poses grave danger for Nigeria’s economy.”
He insisted that the danger his suspension posed to the economy was enough reason for the court to grant his application and as a result make an order for status quo ante bellum to enable him to return to his office as the Governor of the CBN.
In an affidavit in support of the suit, Sanusi linked his suspension to the discrepancies he reported in the remittances of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to the Federation Account.
He explained that in the course of his duties as the CBN Governor, he uncovered certain discrepancies in respect of amounts repatriated to the Federation Account from the proceeds of crude oil sales between the period of January 2012 and July 2013.
He added that he expressed concern in respect of the said discrepancies and also informed the National Assembly of same “because they affect the revenue of the federation and the national economy.”
Sanusi added that in purporting to suspend him from office, Jonathan was punishing him for the disclosures he made and further stressed that the President did not approach nor obtain the support of the Senate before suspending him.
“I have been informed that the Senate did not give the President any support for my purported suspension and removal from office as the CBN Governor,” he said.
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