Sanusi Dares Jonathan: I Won’t Leave CBN Till June 2nd

The stage is set for a showdown between the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi and the Presidency over when he will step down from office. Sanusi is insisting he would remain in office till June 2 when his tenure official expires.

Sanusi's insistence on staying in office till June this year followed the storm provoked by President Goodluck Jonathan's order to him to resign over allegedly leaking a letter Sanusi wrote to him (President) claiming that a huge sum of about $49.8bn oil revenue was missing.
As the battled begins, Sanusi's position has received support from lawyers who said President Jonathan lacks the constitutional powers to direct the Governor of the Central Bank to resign from office.

Most lawyers, who spoke to Vanguard, maintained that only a two-third majority of the Senate can validly sack the CBN governor from office.
On their part, Economic operators called on Jonathan to follow due process, in his attempt to remove Sanusi from office. They said while the President might have the means to fire Sanusi, he should do so according to the terms and conditions of the office.

CBN sources confirmed to Vanguard that Sanusi has made up his mind to resist any attempt to force him out of office before June 2 when his tenure expires.
This position was further confirmed by CBN's spokesman, Ugo Okoroafor. He said Sanusi told members of the management at a meeting on Wednesday that he would be in office till June and did not even indicate that he might proceed on any terminal leave before completing his tenure.
Okoroafor's words: "He told us at the meeting we held (on Wednesday) that he will be leaving in June and did not give any indication that he would proceed on retirement leave before that time."

Sanusi is relying on CBN Act 2007 which defines the tenure, appointment and removal of CBN governor.
Sanusi: Presidency keeps mum
The Presidency has kept mum over reports that the president had asked the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to resign. Though the Special Adviser to President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati had promised to react to the story before the end of the day, several attempts to reach him, last night failed.

Lawyers back Sanusi
Sanusi's resistance has received the backing of senior legal practitioners. A cross section of legal practitioners that spoke to Vanguard, maintained that only a two-third majority of the Senate can validly sack the CBN governor from office. They said that the President has no such powers under the law to Sack Sanusi, adding that President Jonathan would be acting beyond his constitutionally guaranteed powers should he insist on relieving the CBN governor of his duties without recourse to due process.
Professor Itse Sagay, SAN, said: "The CBN governor was right in his position. Although, he was appointed by the president, however, that appointment was ratified by the National Assembly. His removal is supposed to be ratified by the same body.

"Meanwhile, from what we gathered, the government is making the move to remove the CBN Governor from office because of the revelation he made on the non-remittance of oil revenue to the federation account by some government agencies.
"The CBN governor is due to retire in four months time, so what was the urge from the President to want to remove him from office now by all means?"