Politics

You’re A Pathetic Liar, Go Clear Your Name, Sanusi Hits Back

by nadum 18 Nov , 2015  

Like a Phoenix, the allegations about missing $20bn in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) got a fresh life of its own when the immediate past minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke in far away London got even with the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II.

She suggested that Emir Sanusi, her “good friend”, who was governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) then may have told what she described as the biggest lie of the said money because he wanted to be president of African Development Bank (AfDB) but could not get the continental job because former President Goodluck Jonathan’s men frustrated his ambition.

According to her, the former CBN governor probably may have picked offense with her when he got wind of fact that some people close to the former president frustrated his AfDB ambition, which former minister for agriculture and rural development, Akinwunmi Adesina eventually got when he was elected the eight president of the bank in May.

In an interview with Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation Magazine and TheBoss newspaper from her sick bed in London, Alison-Madueke who is presently battling with cancer described Emir Sanusi’s allegations on the missing $20bn as false

Insisting that she never stole any money and daring those accusing her to make the facts public, Diezani said, “If there is one issue I must pursue in this world, it is the biggest lie of this money. How can $20billion disappear just like that? Where did it disappear to? Is it possible that such an amount would not be traceable?” she queried.

“This is more painful coming from someone I considered a good friend who should appreciate the gravity of such allegation. I challenge anyone to come forward with facts showing that I stole government or public money.

I’ve never stolen Nigeria’s money.

“Rather, I worked hard to halt the rampant business of round-tripping. When I brought in Reginald Stanley to clean up the place, I requested for a list of the defaulters. There were about 92 of them and I made sure we sanctioned them. You can imagine the threat to my life but I was ready to defend the economic interests of my country. In fact, we were able to reduce the oil subsidy by about half. No one has applauded our effort.”

She also acknowledged the fact that the relationship between the former CBN governor and former President Jonathan had indeed gone sour, even as she revealed that at about the time of his termination, presidential aides prevented Sanusi from seeing the president.

Her words: “There were those who said the then Governor of Central Bank must have been angry at me because of the way the Presidency treated him. In all honesty, he was being blocked from seeing the President by some of Oga’s people (presidential aides) but it had nothing to do with me.

“I was the one who even told Oga about the development and Oga said he would meet him in London on one of his trips. Unfortunately, my boss fell ill and was rushed to King Edward Hospital and the meeting was aborted.”

“Sanusi and I had been friends. There was no way I would have done anything bad to him. He even came to my house to inform me about his interest in heading the African Development Bank and we discussed for about two hours.

“I promised to support him and I spoke to Oga about it. We were together on the Reconciliation Committee that looked into the accounts of NNPC. Yes there were gaps but not on the alarming scale being circulated. Markafi [former Governor of Kaduna State] did a thorough job. You know he is a very sound accountant”.

Miffed by former minister’s claim, the Emir of Kano, described described Diezani as a big liar who is being economical with the truth.

The royal father said nothing could farther from the truth than the claim that after coming to lobby Mrs. Alison-Madueke to support his interest in the AfDB top job, he letter came up with the allegation $20bn missing oil fund after he had failed to get the job.

In an interview with Sunday Telegraph, Sanusi told the former minister that what he did was not a personal war and as such, it was not targeted at anybody. He challenged her to face the truth, saying if anybody feels affected by the revelation he or she should come forward and clear their name.

The former CBN governor said there is no denying the fact that he actually expressed interest in the AfDB job when the position became vacant, adding that, while he showed lack of interest in a second term as CBN Governor, he wrote a letter to former President Jonathan and the Senate.

He said he equally discussed his AfDB ambition in details with the minister of finance then, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the then Attorney-General of the Federation and minister of justice, Mohammed Adoke.

He said the former president declared his support for him, but a week after he exposed the missing money, Jonathan wrote a letter withdrawing his nomination as Nigeria’s candidate and replaced him with then Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, who later won the election. The monarch insisted that, contrary to Diezani’s submission, there were issues to be cleared around the subsidy regime under Jonathan.

He said, It is not something that is hidden that anybody who is seeking that job must get the support of his country. Knowing fully that I went to the President with my intention and before I made the exposure of the $20bn oil deal, Jonathan clearly indicated his support for me. He even directed Hassan Tukur, his Principal Private Secretary to write to African heads of state. So, what is Diezani saying? One can now see that she is lying.

“My suspension came a week after I made the disclosure of the missing monies, precisely on February 20, 2014. As at that time, I was the only candidate from Nigeria gunning for the AfDB job, but you know one cannot have it when he is suspended. My passports were all confiscated. Jonathan in trying to punish me denied me of the job and replaced me with Akin Adesina, who is my personal friend.

“The question that remains for Diezani to answer is: Was there $6bn said to have been remitted to NPDC which they denied? As for that denial, who is holding that money? What happened to the inflated N6 per litre kerosene subsidy? Where is the money said to be paid to that effect? All these questions formed the basis upon which I was suspended and denied the AfDB job”.

On its début edition, The boss online newspaper quoted Diezani as saying Sanusi must have been angry with her because of the way President Jonathan administration treated him.

Reminding the former minister that what he did was neither a personal war nor was it targeted at anybody, Sanusi insisted that if anybody feels affected by the revelation, he or she should come forward and clear their name.

He said, “Certainly, there is nothing personal. It is our nation’s money we are talking about. One cannot take away the treasury and expect to go scot-free. He must answer the basic questions. Everyone is aware that I was punished by former President Jonathan for exposing the missing $20bn.

“The punishment after suspending me from the CBN and taking away my passports was also blocking me from becoming the AfDB President. But Allah in his mercy today has given me something much more better than that”.

As a royal father he is, Sanusi did not slam the former minister without expressing sympathy for her health condition. He wished Diezani quick recovery. He, however, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to get to the root of the missing $20 billion

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