Nigerian Presidency Confirms Sanusi Lamido Query Over Apex Bank 2012 Audited Report
https://nigeriaafrica1.blogspot.com/2013/08/nigerian-presidency-confirms-sanusi.html
Recently, an online news medium, PointblankNews.com, claimed in a publication that the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido had been queried by the president due to some alleged infractions which were noticed in the CBN’s 2012 audited account.
A local paper claimed that the query was issued to Sanusi on May 6, and a response was expected two days later, although he only finally submitted his reply on May 21 to the president.
The report claimed that in all, there were 22 issues raised in the query, including the fact that Sanusi made some financial donations under the special access item in the CBN account.
The write-off of about N3.5bn CBN staff housing loan, refusal of the apex bank to consolidate its accounts, the trillion naira debt owed by the Asset Management Company, the non-disclosure of the total liabilities through the bond floated by the company, and the discrepancies noted in the 2012 account regarding the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, a subsidiary of the CBN.
The CBN however denied the report.
The Director, Corporate Communications Department of the CBN, Mr Ugochukwu Okoroafor, said that contrary to the report, the bank’s account was not queried by the President.
He said, “I have read that report and those things written there are not true. I am not aware that the President queried the CBN governor over that report. I am not aware of that.
“The 2012 report has been out for some time now and I can say that the CBN is the only institution that in its accounts has always come out without any problem.
“In fact, even the finance committee commended us. We are the only institution that has shown consistency in terms of bringing out our reports on time and in terms of remittances.
“We have never failed in the history of the CBN. The finance committee gave us an award and this was celebrated.
“They gave us with the Nigerian Television Authority and they said we made over 75 per cent of the contributions by MDAs to their surplus and this happened just a few months ago.
“So the people are just being mischievous and we won’t succumb to any blackmail.”
However, Aso Rock has confirmed that Sanusi indeed received a query even though they used more diplomatic language.
When asked, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, told The Punch newspaper on Tuesday that he was aware that “some issues” came up and the CBN governor was asked to offer further explanations on them. He also said that Sanusi had since made the clarifications, even though he did not disclose whether Pres. Jonathan was satisfied with the clarifications.
“What I know is that some issues came up and he (the CBN governor) was asked to explain and he has since done so,” he said.
The report claimed that in all, there were 22 issues raised in the query, including the fact that Sanusi made some financial donations under the special access item in the CBN account.
The write-off of about N3.5bn CBN staff housing loan, refusal of the apex bank to consolidate its accounts, the trillion naira debt owed by the Asset Management Company, the non-disclosure of the total liabilities through the bond floated by the company, and the discrepancies noted in the 2012 account regarding the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, a subsidiary of the CBN.
The CBN however denied the report.
The Director, Corporate Communications Department of the CBN, Mr Ugochukwu Okoroafor, said that contrary to the report, the bank’s account was not queried by the President.
He said, “I have read that report and those things written there are not true. I am not aware that the President queried the CBN governor over that report. I am not aware of that.
“The 2012 report has been out for some time now and I can say that the CBN is the only institution that in its accounts has always come out without any problem.
“In fact, even the finance committee commended us. We are the only institution that has shown consistency in terms of bringing out our reports on time and in terms of remittances.
“We have never failed in the history of the CBN. The finance committee gave us an award and this was celebrated.
“They gave us with the Nigerian Television Authority and they said we made over 75 per cent of the contributions by MDAs to their surplus and this happened just a few months ago.
“So the people are just being mischievous and we won’t succumb to any blackmail.”
However, Aso Rock has confirmed that Sanusi indeed received a query even though they used more diplomatic language.
When asked, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, told The Punch newspaper on Tuesday that he was aware that “some issues” came up and the CBN governor was asked to offer further explanations on them. He also said that Sanusi had since made the clarifications, even though he did not disclose whether Pres. Jonathan was satisfied with the clarifications.
“What I know is that some issues came up and he (the CBN governor) was asked to explain and he has since done so,” he said.
