Emir Sanusi Was Not Sacked, No Funds Went Missing During My Tenure — Goodluck Jonathan

Emir Sanusi Was Not Sacked, No Funds Went Missing During My Tenure — Goodluck Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has rejected claims that he dismissed the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over allegations of a $49.8 billion shortfall in government funds. Speaking at the launch of the book *Public Policy and Agents Interests: Perspectives from the Emerging World*, Jonathan clarified that Sanusi was suspended due to a Financial Reporting Council inquiry into CBN’s expenditures, which revealed serious infractions during his tenure.

Jonathan emphasized that an international audit confirmed no funds were missing, contradicting Sanusi’s assertion. He noted that for a country with a budget of $31.6 billion, losing $49.8 billion was implausible, particularly since salaries were still being paid. Jonathan expressed uncertainty about the accuracy of the figures cited by Sanusi, which varied over time, stating, “I don’t even know the correct one.”