President Knows I Never Wanted Second Term – Sanusi

In what is likely to be his last major interview before his controversial suspension, the Central Bank governor Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi spoke to Metropole Magazine.

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi |photo: Metropole Magazine
In between the storm generated by his letter to the president about unremitted revenues by NNPC, and as his tenure winds down, Sanusi discussed his stewardship, the controversies, his regrets, and his plans in an extensive interview to Metropole.

Excerpts of the interview have been published today in the online version of the magazine.

Sanusi recalled that when he was appointed the CBN governor in 2011, he told Jonathan that he would not seek second term.

"I recall he was surprised because it was so far from the expiration of my tenure but I told him very clearly and I repeated it several times on several occasions to him. Unless he did not believe what I was telling him, it is hoped that he would by now have had enough time to decide on the succession plan," CBN governor said.

He said he always had a clear task set by the late president: to fix the crisis in the banking and financial system, bring down inflation, and build up reserves.

"I have always counted my term in terms of what I am able to achieve. If I really felt there were major things I had intended to achieve and which I had not completed in five years I would see a justification for continuing," Sanusi said.

Sanusi said his nature was that of a problem-solver, and this is another reason why he would not live to serve another five years. "I would be very bored if I were to just sit down and preside," he said.

He disclosed that he inherited this approach from his father, a former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who used to say 'it is not how long you stay in a place, but what you actually achieve.'

According to Sanusi, however, re-appointment in Nigeria is a matter of politics, not achievements.

"All you have to do is be nice to people, prove your loyalty, and do the lobbying," he said.

To recall, Jonathan has ordered the immediate suspension of Sanusi today (Thursday)

The previously asked the CBN governor to resign in January over a leaked letter about missing oil revenue. Sanusi, however, refused to leave his post saying he did nothtig wrong.

Sanusi had written to Jonathan in September informing him that the NNPC had not remitted $49.8 billion of oil revenue to the Federation Account over a 19-month period.

The letter was not made public until December 4, 2013 when it was leaked, and Obasanjo referred to it in his letter to the president.

NNPC was denying Sanusi's letter for some time, and accused the CBN governor of playing politics.

Via: Naij