I was not surprised when Jonathan suspended me.
I was not afraid to blow the whistle on the missing $20 billion because I know I won’t be CBN Governor forever. Because I knew power was transient, I chose to speak the truth, no matter the consequences. Some were afraid to speak out against evil because they were afraid of losing their jobs.
All the people they were afraid of years ago, where are they today? For those who are still in power, remember that it is transient. I would never consult praise singers in my palace who tells me I will rule forever on serious issues.
If you want to be a true Nigerian, tell the present government where they are going wrong. Those who loot public funds and steal the commonwealth forget that there is a limit to the amount of food they can eat any given time; that they can only ride in one car at at a time even if they have a fleet of cars, and can only sleep in one bed even if they have so many houses.
Recalling his exit from the CBN, he said: At the end of the day, this job, Central Bank, I’d leave it someday. I could die, or my tenure expires, or I’d be sacked. I had no control over it. But I have control over how I live.
I wasn’t surprised about my suspension; I knew it would happen, because I had been asked to resign, and I said no. I was not going to make it easy for anyone. My answer was simple. You asked me to resign for telling you money has been stolen. Ask the minister to resign first.
He said fear holds those in government from speaking truth to power. You forget that the person, either the president or the governor, is also occupying a transient position. All the people that people were afraid of two, three years ago, where are they today?
Power is transient. The only thing that’s permanent is what you do for people when you were alive. It does not matter how much you have; you will be remembered for service, not the amount of money you have that you cannot even announce.
-Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
Emir of Kano & former CBN Governor.