Suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi
Lamido Sanusi, has dragged President Goodluck Jonathan before a Federal
High Court in Abuja over his suspension from office, fulfilling his
desire to test the limits of presidential power over incumbent central
bank chiefs.
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| *Sanusi |
The
ousted bank boss is urging 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 Central Bank of Nigeria, pending the determination of
his suit.
He also wants the court to make an order of
interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from
obstructing,disturbing, stopping or preventing him from 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 of the governor of Central
Bank of Nigeria.
In the suit filed on
behalf of the ousted CBN boss by his lawyers led by Chief Kola Awodein, a
senior advocate of Nigeria, Sanusi told the court that his
interlocutory application is necessary because of the issues raised in
the suit and that delay may likely entail irreparable and serious damage
and mischief on him in the exercise of his statutory duties as the CBN
Governor.
He urged the court to exercise its discretion in
his favour by granting the interlocutory injunctions as the President’s
continuing unlawful interference with the management and administration
of the apex bank, unless arrested, poses grave danger for Nigeria’s
economy and justifies the court granting his application which will
result in maintaining status quo ante bellum, that is, for his return to
his office as the Governor of the CBN.
In the affidavit deposed
in support of his application, the suspended CBN boss averred that in
the course of his duties as the CBN Governor, that he discovered certain
discrepancies in respect of amounts repatriated to the federation
account from the proceed of crude oil sales between the period of
January, 2012 and July, 2013 and that he expressed concern in respect of
the said discrepancies and had cause to inform the National Assembly of
the said discrepancies because theyy affect the revenue of the
federation and the national economy.
He further stated that the
actions of President Goodluck Jonathan, in purporting to suspend him
from office, is aimed at punishing him for these disclosures.
The
suit which was filed late Monday afternoon is still at the Federal High
Court’s Registry in Abuja awaiting to be assigned to a judge for hearing
of the suit.
President Jonathan in an interview Monday night
argued that he has the power as the president to suspend the CBN
governor. He even described his power as absolute.
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