A faction of the Nigerian governors’ forum headed by the Rivers State governor has condemned the suspension of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Lamido Sanusi, describing it as a clear breach of the Nigerian constitution and the CBN Act.
In a meeting that took place in Abuja and ended in the early hours of Tuesday, the governors said the suspension appeared aimed at diverting focus from the allegations of corruption and the missing 20 billion dollars from the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
In the resolutions read by the chairman, Governor Chibuike Amaechi, the forum also joined the call for a forensic audit of the NNPC’s account.
“The suspension of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria by the president is a clear breach of the Nigerian constitution and the CBN Act of 2007.
“It is a diversion form the current national discourse on the allegations of corruption and questionable accountability of the NNPC.
“We support the call by the Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Senate Committee on Finance for a forensic audit of the NNPC’s account.”
Governor Ameachi and other governors deplored what they called a deliberate refusal of the presidency to convene the National Economic Council meeting for the past seven months.
“The refusal of the president to convene a national Economic Council meeting has hindered the constitutional opportunity to discuss the perilous sate of the Nigerian Economy thus plunging the nation into economic and political crises,” governor Ameachi said, reading from the resolutions.
They called on the Judiciary to expedite action on the hearing of constitutional cases, especially the case of the excess crude account and the illegal deductions on oil subsidy.
The forum also took positions on the issue of increasing insecurity in the north east where the Boko Haram sect had carried out several attacks recently.
The governors called on the Federal Government to wake up to its responsibility of protecting lives and property in the country especially in the north east.
