When Sanusi lost the respect of the Senate –Sen. Garba
Senator Marafa Garba represents Zamfara Central for All Progressives Congress (APC). The Vice Chairman, Petroleum Committee, said contrary to the widely held view that the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Lamido Sanusi was executing Northern agenda, he was professional in his approach to banking.
He however blamed him for openly insulting the National Assembly which made his suspension a welcome development. Garba noted that the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would benefit the opposition, but assured that APC is capable of resolving any problem that might arise.
Excerpts:
Many believe that Sanusi’s suspension was a cover-up for corruption by the government as the $20billion he alleged was missing from the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is yet to be recovered. What do you say?
A lot has been said about Sanusi. Ordinarily, any amount that was remitted into the Federation Account, should be a source of concern for all Nigerians, left alone the government that draws from that account to execute the much-needed infrastructural development and to pay wages. I think the former CBN governor, in my opinion,goofed when he put pen on paper and wrote Mr. President ,alleging that $20billion was missing, only for him to come up after some days to agree with the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonJo- Iweala and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke before the committee of the National Assembly that only N10.8billion was missing.
To me, I think Sanusi goofed. He betrayed himself as Chief Economic Adviser to the President. I expected him to cross-check his facts and get his acts together, and be sure of what he was saying especially, on issues bordering on finance in Nigeria. Sanusi is not only a renowned banker, he is the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria.
So, he is supposed to make sure that when he comments on issues he is accurate. That goof eroded Sanusi’s integrity as far as I’m concerned. Although I was not surprised when he made the comment, because I told some of my friends that I didn’t believe him when he said that 76% of the nation’s earnings was not remitted to the Federation Account. I’m not speaking for NNPC, because I’m the Vice Chairman, Petroleum Upstream Committee. But when you take a look at the nation’s 76% earnings if, such amount was not remitted and the government did not collapse, you will think twice.
Secondly, before the coming of Sanusi as governor of CBN, he was one personality that was highly respected by all. But his utterances on sensitive issues fell short of a learned man. A person of his standing should have known that there are people out there like himself that value their integrity, that have their family names to protect. Let me highlight some of the allegations he made that he could not substantiate.
First, he said the National Assembly consumes 25% of the nation’s budget. My heart bled when I heard it, because I’m a member of the National Assembly. Budget is a public document that everybody can lay hands on it, and the budget of the National Assembly is N150billion and the total budget of the nation is about N5trillion.
Unfortunately, Sanusi came out without showing any sign of remorse, without a second thought about the personalities and individuals that constitute this institution called the National Assembly and made wild assertions. Though people have the right to speak their minds, but they should speak the truth. I’m one of those who opposed this assertion. It is wrong for someone to play to the gallery and make accusations to smeer some persons or tarnish the integrity they built over the years. So, if he is a layman, he could be pardoned, but as governor of CBN , he opened his mouth and gave wrong figures or conflicting figures on the nation’s finances, that is gross misconduct.
Also, It didn’t take too long when he ,Sanusi, had to fall back on the same National Assembly that he tried very hard to discredit. He was asked to resign. The ex-CBN boss said only the Senate has the power to ask him to resign. One reporter called me in respect of that, and I told the reporter that if I was there when the proposal was made at the floor of the Senate for his removal, I would have supported it. How can somebody like Sanusi carelessly drag the name of his family into the mud? Whatever he hoped to achieve is best known to him. So, I’m in support of his suspension.
Many believe he was executing a Northern agenda. Do you agree?
With due respect, I thank God almighty for the numerous favours He has done to me. First, I come from a tribe that is not in the minority. It is God’s making. I’m part of a religion that is not a minority. So, I’m not myopic in thinking. I don’t feel small or diminished before anybody. I believe in Nigeria and we are one, but we all come from different families, backgrounds, tribes, and we are members of one family called Nigeria. We are Nigerians by choice. If not by us, it maybe by our grand or great grandfathers.
So, I don’t believe in Northern, Southern or Eastern agenda. Having said that, I don’t believe Sanusi was pushing a Northern agenda or that of anybody, because I relate with a lot of people from all parts of Nigeria, hence, I insist that the former CBN governor was not pushing a Northern agenda. His actions and inactions are against what the North stands for, which is respect for constituted authority, respect for other people’s views, and respect for the rule of law and belief in one indivisible Nigeria.
When you hear Kaduna and Northern mafia, that is superstitious .They exist in the imagination of people. So, Sanusi was not executing Northern agenda. Rather, he was executing his own agenda.That is if he has any.
The assertion that he was pushing Northern agenda is not correct. I think his actions and utterances do not lay credence to the question you just asked. When he accused the National Assembly of spending half of the nation’s resources on their welfare, his people from Kano State were part of the Assembly and he said to hell with them. Sanusi acted on his own and not in the interest of the North.
There is the case of the former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah,that of Oteh and now Sanusi. Nigerians called for their sack but government allowed them to stay for a long time before doing the needful. Why?
That is one of the problems of this administration. And this is why I always say, I’m proud of what I am. I look at things from a wider perspective. I don’t care who you are when it is time for me to say the truth. It is high time President Goodluck Jonathan looked at those around him. This thing didn’t start with Stella Oduah.
He did the same thing in the case of Oteh. We saw how it looked as if she is the only one that can run the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC).Even when the National Assembly found her wanting and said she should leave, some people insisted that she must be there. These are some of the problems we have as a nation. In the case of Oduah, there were a lot of allegations. The one that consumed her was the purchase of bullet-proof cars worth over N255m and government defended her. The best thing government could have done which they did not do, was to hands off her and allow investigation to be carried out to know if she actually committed the offence or not.
If she was found wanting, she should have been dealt with accordingly, and if she was innocent, she should have been commended and those who accused her made to face the music. But when government becomes more protective of one person or persons and becomes too hard on another person, then, it has a moral burden.
Like I told you earlier, Sanusi is my brother from the same zone, but when he did something wrong I came out and condemned it. When I heard Sanusi speak before the Senate Committee, I felt sorry for him because if I were to be in his shoes, I would have turned in my resignation. By the time I realized as CBN governor that so-so and so amount was missing and realized later that it was not the amount, I mentioned earlier that was missing, I will resign and apologize to Nigerians.
That could have made Sanusi a hero. But because the President for whatever reasons could not act quickly on Oteh and Oduah, when it was the turn of the former CBN governor, his people said he should not resign or be removed. That is one of the problems we are facing as a nation. We took over from some people and some people definitely are going to take over from us. When they see this kind of monumental corruption, they would say, what kind of parents do we have? So, if we agree to continue to live as a nation, we have to deal with these challenges, but if we can’t, we can go our separate ways, because it is not by force that we must remain one nation.
You were among the lawmakers that insisted that the former Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mbu Joseph Mbu must be redeployed and that happened. What informed your position?
Actually that was not my position. My position was that the police authorities should fear God in whatever they do and they should learn from history. The second one is that the National Assembly as a symbol of democracy, is the only institution that does not exist in any other form of government. So, we must be seen as working towards strengthening democracy.
As a major stakeholder, the legislature is always the first causalty, should the military strike. Most importantly is the Presidency, because the buck stops at the President’s table. The transfer of Mbu to me holds no water; it was not about him but the powers behind him. Who were those behind Joseph Mbu? What gave you the impression that situation would change with the appointment of a new person? To me, the police goofed. When they were asked by the National Assembly to redeploy Mbu, government refused.
He however blamed him for openly insulting the National Assembly which made his suspension a welcome development. Garba noted that the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would benefit the opposition, but assured that APC is capable of resolving any problem that might arise.
Excerpts:
Many believe that Sanusi’s suspension was a cover-up for corruption by the government as the $20billion he alleged was missing from the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is yet to be recovered. What do you say?
A lot has been said about Sanusi. Ordinarily, any amount that was remitted into the Federation Account, should be a source of concern for all Nigerians, left alone the government that draws from that account to execute the much-needed infrastructural development and to pay wages. I think the former CBN governor, in my opinion,goofed when he put pen on paper and wrote Mr. President ,alleging that $20billion was missing, only for him to come up after some days to agree with the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonJo- Iweala and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke before the committee of the National Assembly that only N10.8billion was missing.
To me, I think Sanusi goofed. He betrayed himself as Chief Economic Adviser to the President. I expected him to cross-check his facts and get his acts together, and be sure of what he was saying especially, on issues bordering on finance in Nigeria. Sanusi is not only a renowned banker, he is the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria.
So, he is supposed to make sure that when he comments on issues he is accurate. That goof eroded Sanusi’s integrity as far as I’m concerned. Although I was not surprised when he made the comment, because I told some of my friends that I didn’t believe him when he said that 76% of the nation’s earnings was not remitted to the Federation Account. I’m not speaking for NNPC, because I’m the Vice Chairman, Petroleum Upstream Committee. But when you take a look at the nation’s 76% earnings if, such amount was not remitted and the government did not collapse, you will think twice.
Secondly, before the coming of Sanusi as governor of CBN, he was one personality that was highly respected by all. But his utterances on sensitive issues fell short of a learned man. A person of his standing should have known that there are people out there like himself that value their integrity, that have their family names to protect. Let me highlight some of the allegations he made that he could not substantiate.
First, he said the National Assembly consumes 25% of the nation’s budget. My heart bled when I heard it, because I’m a member of the National Assembly. Budget is a public document that everybody can lay hands on it, and the budget of the National Assembly is N150billion and the total budget of the nation is about N5trillion.
Unfortunately, Sanusi came out without showing any sign of remorse, without a second thought about the personalities and individuals that constitute this institution called the National Assembly and made wild assertions. Though people have the right to speak their minds, but they should speak the truth. I’m one of those who opposed this assertion. It is wrong for someone to play to the gallery and make accusations to smeer some persons or tarnish the integrity they built over the years. So, if he is a layman, he could be pardoned, but as governor of CBN , he opened his mouth and gave wrong figures or conflicting figures on the nation’s finances, that is gross misconduct.
Also, It didn’t take too long when he ,Sanusi, had to fall back on the same National Assembly that he tried very hard to discredit. He was asked to resign. The ex-CBN boss said only the Senate has the power to ask him to resign. One reporter called me in respect of that, and I told the reporter that if I was there when the proposal was made at the floor of the Senate for his removal, I would have supported it. How can somebody like Sanusi carelessly drag the name of his family into the mud? Whatever he hoped to achieve is best known to him. So, I’m in support of his suspension.
Many believe he was executing a Northern agenda. Do you agree?
With due respect, I thank God almighty for the numerous favours He has done to me. First, I come from a tribe that is not in the minority. It is God’s making. I’m part of a religion that is not a minority. So, I’m not myopic in thinking. I don’t feel small or diminished before anybody. I believe in Nigeria and we are one, but we all come from different families, backgrounds, tribes, and we are members of one family called Nigeria. We are Nigerians by choice. If not by us, it maybe by our grand or great grandfathers.
So, I don’t believe in Northern, Southern or Eastern agenda. Having said that, I don’t believe Sanusi was pushing a Northern agenda or that of anybody, because I relate with a lot of people from all parts of Nigeria, hence, I insist that the former CBN governor was not pushing a Northern agenda. His actions and inactions are against what the North stands for, which is respect for constituted authority, respect for other people’s views, and respect for the rule of law and belief in one indivisible Nigeria.
When you hear Kaduna and Northern mafia, that is superstitious .They exist in the imagination of people. So, Sanusi was not executing Northern agenda. Rather, he was executing his own agenda.That is if he has any.
The assertion that he was pushing Northern agenda is not correct. I think his actions and utterances do not lay credence to the question you just asked. When he accused the National Assembly of spending half of the nation’s resources on their welfare, his people from Kano State were part of the Assembly and he said to hell with them. Sanusi acted on his own and not in the interest of the North.
There is the case of the former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah,that of Oteh and now Sanusi. Nigerians called for their sack but government allowed them to stay for a long time before doing the needful. Why?
That is one of the problems of this administration. And this is why I always say, I’m proud of what I am. I look at things from a wider perspective. I don’t care who you are when it is time for me to say the truth. It is high time President Goodluck Jonathan looked at those around him. This thing didn’t start with Stella Oduah.
He did the same thing in the case of Oteh. We saw how it looked as if she is the only one that can run the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC).Even when the National Assembly found her wanting and said she should leave, some people insisted that she must be there. These are some of the problems we have as a nation. In the case of Oduah, there were a lot of allegations. The one that consumed her was the purchase of bullet-proof cars worth over N255m and government defended her. The best thing government could have done which they did not do, was to hands off her and allow investigation to be carried out to know if she actually committed the offence or not.
If she was found wanting, she should have been dealt with accordingly, and if she was innocent, she should have been commended and those who accused her made to face the music. But when government becomes more protective of one person or persons and becomes too hard on another person, then, it has a moral burden.
Like I told you earlier, Sanusi is my brother from the same zone, but when he did something wrong I came out and condemned it. When I heard Sanusi speak before the Senate Committee, I felt sorry for him because if I were to be in his shoes, I would have turned in my resignation. By the time I realized as CBN governor that so-so and so amount was missing and realized later that it was not the amount, I mentioned earlier that was missing, I will resign and apologize to Nigerians.
That could have made Sanusi a hero. But because the President for whatever reasons could not act quickly on Oteh and Oduah, when it was the turn of the former CBN governor, his people said he should not resign or be removed. That is one of the problems we are facing as a nation. We took over from some people and some people definitely are going to take over from us. When they see this kind of monumental corruption, they would say, what kind of parents do we have? So, if we agree to continue to live as a nation, we have to deal with these challenges, but if we can’t, we can go our separate ways, because it is not by force that we must remain one nation.
You were among the lawmakers that insisted that the former Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mbu Joseph Mbu must be redeployed and that happened. What informed your position?
Actually that was not my position. My position was that the police authorities should fear God in whatever they do and they should learn from history. The second one is that the National Assembly as a symbol of democracy, is the only institution that does not exist in any other form of government. So, we must be seen as working towards strengthening democracy.
As a major stakeholder, the legislature is always the first causalty, should the military strike. Most importantly is the Presidency, because the buck stops at the President’s table. The transfer of Mbu to me holds no water; it was not about him but the powers behind him. Who were those behind Joseph Mbu? What gave you the impression that situation would change with the appointment of a new person? To me, the police goofed. When they were asked by the National Assembly to redeploy Mbu, government refused.
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