Sanusi: Diezani is lying… Jonathan scuttled my AfDB ambition just to punish me

Muhammad Sanusi, emir of Kano, says former president, Goodluck Jonathan, initially supported his aspiration to be president of the African Development Bank (AFDB) but decided to back Akinwunmi Adesina for the job as a means of “punishing” him.

In an interview with New Telegraph, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said Diezani Allison Madueke, former petroleum minister of petroleum, must account for some alleged sharp practices that occurred during her time in office.

Sanusi wished Diezani, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, quick recovery, saying he had nothing “personal” against her.

“What is Diezani saying? One can now see that she is lying,” he said.

“Before I made the exposure of the $20 billion oil deal, Jonathan clearly indicated his support for me. He even directed Hassan Tukur, his principal private secretary, to write to African heads of state. Anybody who is seeking that job must get the support of his country.

“My suspension came a week after I made the disclosure of the missing monies, precisely on February 20, 2014.

“As at that time, I was the only candidate from Nigeria gunning for the AfDB job, but you know one cannot have it when he is suspended. My passports were all confiscated. Jonathan, in trying to punish me, denied me of the job and replaced me with Akin Adesina, who is my personal friend.

“The question that remains for Diezani to answer is: Was there $6bn said to have been remitted to NPDC which they denied? As for that denial, who is holding that money? What happened to the inflated N6 per litre kerosene subsidy?

“Where is the money said to be paid to that effect? All these questions formed the basis upon which I was suspended and denied the AfDB job.”

The monarch said though he lost the opportunity to head the prestigious institution, “Allah in His mercy has given me something much more better than that”.

Sanusi also appealed to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to conduct a thorough investigation into the issue.

“Certainly, there is nothing personal. It is our nation’s money we are talking about,” he said.

“One cannot take away the treasury and expect to go scot-free. He must answer the basic questions. Everyone is aware that I was punished by former President Jonathan for exposing the missing $20bn.”

Diezani had blamed Sanusi’s loss of the plum job on “some people” close to Jonathan.