The decision of President Goodluck Jonathan to suspend the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, led to a shouting match on the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers and their colleagues in the All Progressives Congress booed one another as debate on the suspension tilted toward what some members called “politics and sentiments.”
Members barely restrained from punching one another.
The Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, intervened a number of times to calm members and restore order.
Despite the speaker’s efforts, proceedings were halted for over 15 minutes as the booing and shouting match continued.
Trouble started when House Minority Whip and member of the APC, Mr. Samson Osagie, raised a matter of urgent public importance to draw the attention of the House to the suspension.
Osagie had sought the House to “condemn” the suspension on the grounds that Jonathan had no constitutional backing to suspend Sanusi.
He also said the President’s claim that the suspension was to pave the way for an unfettered investigation into alleged corrupt acts by Sanusi, was diversionary.
Osagie recalled that the same Sanusi had recently alerted government to missing funds of over $20billion, which the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation did not remit to the Federation Account.
He recalled that the Senate was conducting a forensic investigation into the matter and had not reached a conclusion.
Osagie also said several reports on corruption investigations by the House of Representatives and other government agencies had not been implemented by Jonathan till date.
He expressed surprise over the “haste” to suspend Sanusi at a time the President had ignored reports on already concluded investigations.
Osagie said, “The House condemns the suspension because it is illegal and unconstitutional.
“The House mandates its Committee on Justice/Legislative Compliance to compile all the resolutions of the House for immediate implementation by Mr. President.”
He argued that Section 11(I)(f) of the CBN Act spelt out the procedure for removing the governor of the CBN from office.
“Mr. Speaker, the law provides for removal, not suspension.
“And in removing the governor, the law provides that the President must get the approval of two-third majority of the Senate,” he said.
But, PDP members started shouting at him to sit down.
They booed Osagie in a bid to distract his flow of thoughts.
A member from Ogbia Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State, Mr. Nado Taribo, raised a point of order to stop Osagie, but he was overruled.
As Osagie resumed his debate, another PDP member from Imo State, Mr. Raphael Nnana-Igbokwe, again tried to stop him by raising another point of order.
Tambuwal obliged him by asking Osagie to sit down.
Nnana-Igbokwe observed that while it was true that the CBN Act made provision for removal and not suspension, the President could still suspend the governor.
He hinged his position on the argument that the CBN was a public institution run in compliance with civil service procedures.
“Is the CBN a public institution or not?
“Sanusi is a public officer bound by the public service rules.
“He has been asked to step aside for investigation to be conducted; this is not about his removal,” he said.
APC members reacted by booing Nnana-Igbokwe and shouting him down.
“Sit down”, “sit down”, “sit down, my friend”; “is there a provision for suspension in the CBN Act?”, many voices shouted angrily.
Tambuwal sustained Nnana-Igbokwe’s point of order, but he still allowed Osagie to continue with his debate on the grounds that both speakers had admitted that suspension was a misnomer in the law.
However, a PDP member from Cross River State, Nkoyo Toyo, condemned the bid by lawmakers to politicise the matter instead of applying the law.
“The CBN Act is very clear on how to remove an important officer like the CBN governor.
“This is not an issue to bring in sentiment or politics,” she said.
APC lawmakers applauded her courage for “speaking the facts as they are.”
House Deputy Majority Leader and PDP member from Delta State, Mr. Leo Ogor, tried to defend Jonathan’s decision, but he too was booed.
Ogor argued that Jonathan did not breach any law yet, as all he did was to suspend Sanusi.
He claimed to be sure that the President would follow the process of the law through by asking the Senate to approve his removal.
“Mr. President has just taken the first step, which is suspension before going to removal.
“It is after this step that he will go to seek two-third majority of the Senate to remove him,” he said.
Many APC members shouted “no!”, “nooo!!, “noooooo!!!”
Tambuwal put the motion to a voice vote and ruled in favour of condemning the suspension of Sanusi.
Outside the plenary, more lawmakers opposed the suspension.
The Minority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, for instance, noted that a central bank was “independent and autonomous” all over the world.
He said, “I am concerned about its legality. Whilst it can be argued that an employer has the right to suspend an employee, the question here is whether this is a suspension or a removal in the guise of suspension.
“For good reason, the CBN Governor world over is independent and autonomous. To remove him you need confirmation and buy in of the senate.
“You cannot do it through the back door. If you read carefully the reasons advanced by the Presidency then it becomes clear that this is a removal and not a suspension and therefore illegal and constitutional.
“It becomes more worrisome when you consider the timing and the fact that the CBN Governor has just blown the lid off a monumental scandal involving the disappearance of 20 billion dollars from our coffers. The message being sent out is not the best.
” There can be no worse attack on the autonomy of the apex financial institution as envisaged by the constitution. For Gods sake the man only has three months left.”
Similarly, a member from Edo State, Mr. Pally Iriase, observed that there was no provision in any law for the President to suspend the governor.
He said if Jonathan’s intention was to sack Sanusi, the President should “do the right thing by getting two-third majority approval of the Senate.”
Iriase spoke further, “The way he has gone about it is unconstitutional.
“He doesn’t have the powers to just sit and suspend or remove the CBN governor from office.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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This Apc self no get work o.... Na gossip them go bossip wey 2015 go come and dem go loose again
ReplyDeleteGood the man is a useless man...even hausa i mean BH and vampire family no like the man if i want to change dollar as the abokis will be calling sanusi usless man....let him go
ReplyDelete