Governor Babatunde Fashola has said that President Jonathan’s decision to sack Mallam Lamido Sanusi as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria was a clear indication that he is endorsing corruption.
Governor Fashola who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria said the timing of Sanusi’s removal after he blew the whistle on a $20 billion fraud was suspect.
Speaking to the media after a tour of completed projects in the state, Fashola said, “If the man is going in June, there must be a sense in the messaging about executive tampering with the independence of Central Bank of Nigeria. This has economic consequence for investor position.
“This isn’t a suspension but sack. This is because there was no power to sack him. And they have considered the implication. That was why they said that he should go on suspension,” he lamented.
“For me really, if someone in my government tells me that some money is missing and without concluding any investigation, they suspended the person who blew the whistle. It is when the audit is concluded that they can now decide what to do to the man.
“But now, before the completion of the audit, they have sacked the man who alerted the head of the government that money is missing. So what message is the presidency sending out to Nigerians on corruption and others who may want to reveal any atrocity committee in the country?
“The message the presidency is sending out is that Nigerians should keep quiet whenever they see any corruption perpetrated in the country. That is not a good sign for the country,” he said.