Sunday, February 23, 2014

How has the New York Times reported the Central Bank Governor's sack? And what are Nigerians saying about Sanusi's legacy?

Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank Is Fired After Warning of Missing Oil Revenue, by Adam Nossiter, NYTimes.com Feb 20, 2014

"President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria removed the governor of the country’s central bank from his post on Thursday, after the bank governor repeatedly charged that billions of dollars in oil revenue owed to the treasury was missing.
...
Oil yields 95 percent of the country’s total export earnings, and Mr. Sanusi has been saying for months that a substantial portion of the money was missing from public coffers...that the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, or N.N.P.C., had failed to turn over nearly $50 billion in revenue over an 18-month period, from January 2012 to July 2013, “in gross violation of the law.” Though oil prices were strong, official figures inexplicably showed declining revenue and falling reserves.
...
The sprawling company acts as the country’s oil buyer, seller, explorer, producer, processor and regulator, and is “at the nexus between the many interests in Nigeria that seek a stake in the country’s oil riches,” according to a 2010 Stanford University study.
The study said that while the company “functions well as an instrument of patronage,” it is neither competent nor efficient in its many operations. Mr. Sanusi went further, accusing it this month of “illegal and unconstitutional acts,” including transferring income from government-owned oil properties to “private hands.” "
Read the full article


Meanwhile, the backpage column of Nigeria's ThisDay Newspaper today has 'How Would You Remember Sanusi?'  by Simon Kolawole. 
"Can we ignore the fact that Sanusi restored some sanity to the banking industry? Can we ignore the fact that the so-called billionaires, who were heavily indebted to the banks and living like kings were exposed? Can we ignore the fact that, although it cost us heavily, no bank was allowed to go down and no depositor lost one kobo during the crisis, unlike in the past?
Or can we ignore the fact that the rogue bankers are now facing trial, even if their crafty lawyers and the judiciary are working against justice? Can we ignore the successful intervention of Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) which, under Mr. Mustapha Chike-Obi, has done a good job of cleaning up the mess created by these rogues? Can we deny that the stock market is now back to life and this is a major achievement of the Jonathan administration? Can we deny that inflation is now at single digit and the naira has been stable – owing to CBN’s macro-economic management? 
...
If I were to advise President Jonathan, I would tell him not to waste this great opportunity to install and instil accountability in the oil industry. It is tragic that we sell so much oil but cannot account for every kobo that comes in. We give NNPC 440,000 barrels per day when it can only refine 80,000. We then engage in questionable swap deals that apparently short-change us. The NNPC dips its hands into funds that should go directly into the federation account. These are serious issues. In my opinion, we can fault Sanusi’s method but we should never fault the message: NNPC is a disgrace. This has been going on for decades and has to stop. If this controversy will serve as the turning point for the oil industry, so be it."
Read More Opinions of the Nigerian people Re: The Sack of CBN Governor Sanusi
Read More on the NNPC Thefts, Diversions, or Missing Revenue

4 comments:

t said...

The other side: "On the suspension of the central bank governor, Mr Jonathan said Lamido Sanusi had to step aside to allow an investigation into financial malpractice at the central bank.

But many Nigerians believe the real reason Mr Sanusi was suspended was because he had ruffled feathers by alleging that the state oil company had failed to account properly for $20bn worth of oil, says the BBC's Will Ross.

The ex-bank governor was in the midst of presenting evidence to parliament, fuelling speculation that his suspension was an attempt to silence a whistleblower.

But the president denied this in his press conference, saying Mr Sanusi's dismissal had "nothing to do with whistleblowing." " Source: BBC report

Android TV Player said...

Well! You're right that the NNPC dips its hands into funds that should go directly into the federation account. These are serious issues. In my opinion, we can fault Sanusi’s method but we should never fault the message. Good done.

t said...

I agree. We really need to modernize our oil industry. And the judiciary needs to be strengthened to work on corruption and accountability issues.

t said...

This is a country of 160million people with average income between 1,000 and 2,000 dollars yearly. Retrieve 20billion dollars (ostensibly stolen through the NNPC and oil interests to fund the PDP and political patronage) and each soul - woman, man, child, - has just received 120 dollars.

Most Nigerians unfortunately, do not even get 1,000 dollars a year worth of value out of this country. They get suffering and dirty water, torn slippers and mosquitoes, rubbish schools and false prophets.

By the way, those in the top 1 percent who get a small bite out of the stolen funds, what do they (we) have? No electricity, no pride, no work, stupid leadership, no internet, using phones when we should be making phones, watching wealthier people on DSTV when we should be making the future...

If it is the case that other parties besides the PDP have similar rackets, no problem, blow the whistle on them too. Do it now.

(Singing: blow, blow, blow till I be but breath of the Spirit blowing in me...)

Other music to review is Talk About It (by M.I.) : I must speak, I must crow, I'm not a chicken I'm a rooster, I'm not afraid to speak so I let it out when I'm supposed to...Ajebotas like me if you really wanna crow say cock-a-doodle-doo, Ajepako like me if you really wanna crow say kookoorookoo...

Previously on UpNaira

 

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