The
Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Thursday, agreed that the secret letter former Central Bank
of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Mohammed 11, was leaked by
him but insisted that he did that in the best interest of Nigeria and
Nigerians.
The
letter in question was in relation to the former CBN’s governor’s allegation on
the non-remittance of $49.8 billion from oil sale to the federation account.
The
letter was written to former President Goodluck Jonathan by Sanusi.
It would
be recalled that had earlier reveled in an interview with Forbes Africa
Magazine that Amaechi was responsible for leaking to Obasanjo a letter he wrote
to Jonathan on the “missing” $49.8 billion oil revenues.
Reacting
to Sanusi’s interview and media reportage on the issue, Amaechi, through his
media office, said the role he played on the issue was in the best interest of
the nation and Nigerians.
Below is
the statement from Amaechi’s media office:
“Our
attention has been drawn to reports in the media that tends to infer and/or
suggest that immediate past governor of Rivers State and now Minister of
Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi surreptitiously and
clandestinely ‘leaked’ a letter written by former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
governor and now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Muhammad 11 to then President Goodluck
Jonathan on the non-remittance of $49.8 billion from oil sale to the federation
account.
“This is
further from the truth and what exactly transpired as regards Amaechi’s
involvement in that Sanusi letter.
“To put
the records straight, we want to categorically state that a concerned and
patriotic Nigerian who felt sufficiently troubled with what was happening then,
gave a copy of the Sanusi letter to Amaechi in Amaechi’s capacity as the
chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).
“Like
Amaechi, we should appreciate that concerned Nigerian’s patriotism.
“When
Amaechi got the letter, he spoke with Sanusi who was still the CBN governor to
confirm the authenticity of the letter. Sanusi confirmed to Amaechi that he
wrote the letter. During their conversation, Amaechi made it abundantly clear
to the then CBN governor that the bleeding of the nation had to be stopped, all
non-remitted funds remitted and that he (Amaechi) was going to use the letter
to do whatever is in the best interest of the nation and Nigerians, which was
the stoppage of the non-remittance and the recovery of all the non-remitted
funds from oil sale. The CBN Governor didn’t agree with Amaechi on the way
forward.
“Considering
that the letter was given to Amaechi as Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, he
shared the letter with his colleague governors first, and with Senator Bukola
Saraki (now Senate President), who before and around that period was doing some
work or/and investigation around the oil sector in the senate.
“Around
that period, a delegation from the United States of America government, from
the offices of the Secretaries of State and Defense visited Amaechi in Port
Harcourt to discuss the issue of oil theft in Nigeria. From their records, they
gave Amaechi figures of billions of dollars (about $7 billion dollars,
annually) that was being lost to oil theft in Nigeria.
“They
were discussing the issue and figures of oil theft, and that was how the CBN
governor’s letter to President Jonathan came up.
“In the
presence of journalists covering the visit, Amaechi brought out the Sanusi
letter to the visiting American delegation to buttress the point that Nigeria
was losing far more money to non-remittance of proceeds from oil sale into the
federation account, which everyone seemed to concur, was in itself, another
form and another dimension to the issue of oil theft.
“To
suggest, infer or even extrapolate that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi
surreptitiously, clandestinely or underhandedly ‘leaked’ the CBN governor’s
(Sanusi’s) letter is indeed most unfair, disrespectful and uncharitable to his
person.
“Amaechi
did what he did because he believed that the theft and corruption was just too
much. He was propelled by his patriotic zeal to put Nigeria first, do what is
in the best interest of the nation and Nigerians, and stop the bleeding and
sucking of our collective resources by a tiny few.
“The mind
boggling corruption revelations in the recent past, that is still ongoing
clearly justifies and vindicates Amaechi’s stance on the issue and the actions
he took.
“Faced
with the same situation, under similar circumstances, Amaechi will not act
differently. The good of Nigeria, putting the nation and Nigerians first, will
always be his guiding principle.”
Source: RipplesNigeria
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