After reading this piece, kindly take a time out to pray for Nigeria and her citizens, most especially the victims of one form of terror or another. May the souls of those that have died rest in peace, while those that are hospitalized get a speedy recovery and may God grant the love ones of the deceased the fortitude to bear the loss.
Just within a week after the meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the erstwhile Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Emir of Kano; Muhammadu Sanusi II, the Department of State Security (DSS) returned the international passports it seized from the former nine months ago.
The Emir`s diplomatic travelling passport was seized on 20th February, 2014 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos when he returned from Niger Republic where he had gone to attend a meeting of governors of central banks in the West African sub-region while the ordinary international passport was collected from him on 3rd May, 2014 at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport when he was about boarding Turkish Airline.
Although, there were earlier minor issues between the presidency and the former governor of Central Bank; Emir Sansui, but the big issue started after the governor was alleged to have leaked an official letter he wrote to the presidency on 25th September 2013. In the letter, the erstwhile governor of Central Bank of Nigeria alleged that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had failed to remit to the federation account more than two-thirds of the oil money earned by the country between January 2012 and July 2013. He also alleged that out of the sum of $67 billion, only about $18 billion had so far been accounted for, while the sum of $49.8 billion was unaccounted for.
The letter was immediately denied by NNPC, and following NNPC’s repeated denials, a joint press conference was convened by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and Sanusi, during which a reconciliation process established that it was not $49.8 billion that had not been repatriated to the Federation Account but $10.8 billion.
The erstwhile governor then reviewed the alleged missing fund downward to $12 billion and later $10.8 billion upon reconciliation with the ministry of finance and later brought it up to $20 billion.
Although the letter was not made public until December 4, 2013 when it was leaked, but the former president; Chief Olusegun Obasanjo referred to it in his letter to President Jonathan titled; “Before it is too late”, dated 2nd December, 2013. In which he accused President Goodluck Jonathan of being clannish, destroying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and training snipers to target opponents of the administration, among other allegations.
It can be deduced from the whole scenario that the major offence committed by the erstwhile governor was accusing the government of diverting the sum $20 billion made from oil revenues to an unknown account but the government denied the claim and accused Mr. Sanusi of “financial recklessness”, suspended him as CBN governor and dealt with him.
How on earth would one justify the illegal seizure of the documents of a high ranking profile like Sanusi because he chose to be a whistleblower? What justification does the presidency have to done that?
If someone like Sanusi can be subjected to such humiliation, embarrassments and harsh treatment, then the ordinary Nigerian should expect anything from the government.
The sudden seizure of Sanusi`s documents and the release of same under the command of one man show the level of tyranny being displayed by the presidency.
It is only a tyrannic government that does not yield to court injunction.
It is however glaring that the whole gimmicks behind the release of the Emir`s documents are connected to the upcoming 2015 general election. The release of the documents was done to appeal to the Emir in other to seek his support and that of his people for the forth coming election. I hope the Emir and his people would not be deceived by such deceptive act by the presidency but rather consider it as a crafty act to steal their votes.
The fact is; if we claim to be a democratic nation, it mustn’t be just by voting to elect our leaders but also in action by respecting the rights of every individual and must not continue to victimize and oppress the citizens who refuse to be a “yes sir servants”.
The message to the Emir was simple and clear; you were humiliated because you chose to be a Whistleblower but now that we`re friends your offences are all dropped, go and be a whistleblower no more.
God Bless Nigeria
Ogundana Michael Rotimi
Follow me on Twitter @MickeySunny
