Former President Goodluck Jonathan has clarified that he did not sack the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, over the alleged missing $49.8 billion during his tenure.

Sanusi, who is now the Emir of Kano, had, in September 2013, said $49.8 billion could not be accounted for.

“I am constrained to formally write your Excellency, documenting serious concerns of the CBN on the continuous failure of the NNPC to repatriate significant proportion of the proceeds of the crude oil shipment it made ($49.8 billion), in gross violation of the law,” the former CBN Governor said in a letter addressed to Jonathan.

Also, Sanusi, in 2015, raised the alarm over $20 billion which the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) allegedly failed to remit to the federation account.

Speaking at the launch of a book by the former Minister of Finance and National Planning, Dr Shamsudeen Usman, in Abuja on Thursday, September 26, 2024, Jonathan said while he respected the views of the author, he disagreed with some contributions by Sanusi.

Usman served as a minister under Jonathan’s administration. The latter was Nigeria’s president between 2010 and 2015.

Jonathan, however, elucidated that Sanusi was suspended and not sacked as the CBN Governor.

He said: “Let me mention that I did not agree completely 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.

Jonathan: $49.8bn didn’t miss under my watch as president

“The one he raised that he was sacked because he blew a whistle that the Federal Government lost $49.8 billion is not quite correct.

“He was not sacked; he was suspended because the Financial Reporting Council queried the expenditure of CBN.

“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.”

While speaking at the event, Sanusi jokingly greeted Jonathan as his boss who sacked him but held him in high esteem.

“My boss who sacked me. I was constructively dismissed. I know everybody wants me to respond, but I will not respond. I have respect for my boss,” the Emir of Kano said.

Sanusi, however, advised Nigeria to maximise the Dangote refinery instead of frustrating it.

“Instead of grabbing this opportunity, we are frustrating it. This is due to vested interests,” he said.

The Star