By Emmanuel Nduka
Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, on Thursday, refuted claims by former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido that the sum of $49.8 billion allegedly disappeared from government coffers under his watch.
Jonathan also clarified that he never sacked the Emir after he alerted Nigerians over the alleged missing funds.
Sanusi had made the claims in his excerpts in a book titled: “Public Policy and Agent Interests: Perspectives from The Emerging World”. The book was edited by Shamsuddeen Usman, a former Minister of National Planning under the Jonathan administration.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city at the launch of the book, Jonathan insisted that no amount was missing, and that the allegation was merely made up by the then leadership of the CBN.
Heritage Times HT recalls that the current Emir of Kano served as Governor of Nigeria’s apex bank under Jonathan.
Jonathan publicly told attendees at the book launch which also had Sanusi in attendance, that an internationally recognised audit firm – Price Water Coopers (PwC) engaged to probe the missing amount, gave his administration a clean bill of health.
As captured in the book, Sanusi claimed the development led to his sack as CBN Governor.
But Jonathan, who chaired the book launch, in his opening remark, said as much as he agreed with the concept of the book and recommended it for research and policy framing, he, however, disagreed with Sanusi’s claim on the missing $49.8billion.
Insisting that Sanusi was suspended and not sacked, Jonathan said there was no way such a huge amount would be stolen in Nigeria and the impact wouldn’t be felt.
Jonathan also recounted how he was confronted by former President of Germany, Angela Merkel, over the matter, and how he explained to her that such money couldn’t have been stolen from a struggling country.
“Let me mention that I did not agree with some issues raised by one of the contributors. But I don’t intend to join issues because he is our royal father. And he is here.
“The one he raised that he was sacked because he blew a whistle that the Federal Government lost $49.8billion is not quite correct. He was not sacked, he was suspended because the Financial Reporting Council queried the expenditure of CBN. And there were serious infractions that needed to be looked at. That was the reason. But somehow, the time was short. So before we finished, his tenure elapsed. Probably, he would have been called back.
“On the issue of $ 49.8 billion, till today, I am not convinced that the Federal Government lost $49.8 billion.
“And that year, our budget was $31.6 billion. So for a country that had a budget of $31.6 billion to lose about $50 billion and salaries were paid, nobody felt anything. The researchers that wrote this book need to do further research.
“And more so, when our revered royal father came up with the figures. First $49.8 billion, later $20 billion and later $12 billion. I don’t even know the correct one,” Jonathan recounted.
While recalling that he was vindicated about the claim after the former CBN Governor began to change the narrative from $49 billion to $20 billion, and later $12 billion, Jonathan also refreshed the memories of guests on how the then Senate Committee on Finance, led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, investigated the issue and found the claims baseless.
