By John Ikani
Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has called for a proper audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), noting that this call was what cost him his job at the apex bank.
During his address at The Bank Directors Summit held at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, Sanusi, who served as CBN governor from June 2009 to February 2014, underscored the need for the President not to hold the position of the Minister of Petroleum.
In a suprising move in August, President Bola Tinubu split the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, appointing Ekperipe Ekpo as Minister of State, Gas Resources, and Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of State, Petroleum Resources.
However, in a continuity of tradition from ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu retained the substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources role for himself.
Speaking further, Sanusi underscored the importance of maintaining the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) until banks collectively settle their outstanding debts.
He went on to address the public trust deficit in the banking sector, stressing the necessity of not amending the CBN Act to safeguard the apex bank from political influences.
