Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on Thursday, urged the Senate not to screen any nomination by President Goodluck Jonathan for the replacement of Mr. Lamido Sanusi as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Falana urged the Senate to “put off any debate on the fresh nomination pending the end of the tenure of the suspended governor” in June.
The Lagos lawyer said this after Sanusi’s suspension by the President was announced on Thursday.
He also urged the President to withdraw new nomination for Sanusi’s replacement. Falana insisted that Sanusi remained the substantive governor of CBN.
He said, “Since Mr. Sanusi has been placed on suspension, the law presumes that he is still the substantive Governor of the CBN. Therefore, pending the end of his tenure or removal from office through the Senate, there is no basis for the appointment of a new CBN governor.
“President Jonathan is advised to suspend the process for the replacement of the CBN governor by withdrawing the new nomination forwarded to the Senate as the nation cannot have a suspended governor and a substantive governor of the CBN at the same time. In the alternative, the Senate should put off any debate on the fresh nomination pending the end of the tenure of the suspended governor.”
But he said Sanusi’s allegations of missing oil fund in the Federation Account must not be swept under the carpet.
He added that as unfounded as Sanusi’s suspension might be, he too must be investigated for the allegations levelled against him by the Presidency.
Copyright PUNCH.
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