Lagos — Following strong signals that Prof. Chukwuma Soludo may not be re-appointed governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), bigwigs from the South-east geo-political zone and key bankers have stepped up moves to save his job.
THISDAY had reported at the weekend that President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was seriously considering the Group Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, as Soludo's replacement as no CBN governor had enjoyed tenure renewal since 1993.
THISDAY learnt that following the report, some top political and business elite have been holding a series of meetings to map out strategies to save Soludo.
Some of the meetings were attended by serving senators and members of the House of Representatives, as well as the Igbo intelligentsia.
"It would appear Igbos are being quietly eased out of government no matter their performance in office," a source who attended some of the meetings told THISDAY.
The anger of some of them stemmed from the possibility of having to be made to forgo one of the positions of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and CBN governor.
"The meeting discussed this issue and considered it very self-serving. How come the North did not have to choose between Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)?" another source said.
The notion that Yar'Adua cannot make the two appointments from the same zone at the same time was also dismissed, with examples being cited of when other zones of the country filled the positions simultaneously.
"The meeting considered it ridiculous the suggestion that the IGP and the CBN governor cannot come from the same zone. In 1999, Chief Joseph Sanusi was appointed CBN governor and Alhaji Musiliu Smith IGP at the same time. Both of them were from the South-west. When the late Abdulkadir Ahmed was CBN governor, we had Alhaji Muhammadu Gambo and Ibrahim Coomasie as IGPs at various times," he added.
At one of the meetings, some Igbo politicians expressed concern at the dwindling fortune of the South-east in the present government.
"Ernest Ndukwe's tenure is about to end. He has less than a year to go. It is true that the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Bernard Shaw Nwadulo, is from our zone, but he was appointed a few weeks ago and he is due for retirement in August 2009. He will proceed on terminal leave in July," the source said.
THISDAY was told that the meeting considered it "confounding" that despite the global accolade Soludo had been receiving, the government would want to do away with him.
The newspaper was told that part of the outcome of the meetings was the letter written to Yar'Adua on Monday by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing and Urban Development, Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah (Anambra South), advising him on the need to adhere to the principle of federal character in the appointment of a new CBN governor.
He said the Minister of Finance, Dr. Mansur Muhtar, and the Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman, are both from Kano State - where Sanusi also comes from.
Meanwhile, THISDAY has learnt that the lobby to get Soludo's term renewed has been intensified, with the chief executive of a first generation bank enlisting Chief Tony Anenih in an attempt to persuade the Presidency on the matter.
There are also fears that if the President does not move in on time to make a definite pronouncement quickly, it could affect the financial markets in Nigeria and reverberate on the international level.
A financial analyst said: "The CBN position must not be left to uncertainty. It could do damage to Nigeria's financial market. This is unlike the position of the DG of Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) which has been left vacant for weeks."
A Presidency source however warned last night that the intensity of the lobby may backfire as the President may finally choose to go for a "neutral" person.
Comments 1 to 3 of 3 Post a comment
This regime is throwing Nigeria into increasing turmoil with absolute punity. First, Ribadu and now possibly Soludo both of whom have made monumental changes and took unprecedented actions to give Nigeria their best.
Mr. Yar´dua is gradually creating a bad precedence and slowly and undemocratically making a bad name for himself. Nigeria like to emulate the U.S. politics but only superficially. Serious and progressive democracy simulates non-partisan und ethical behaviour in appointing and retaining public office holders like Obama has been doing. Robert Gates was appointed by the Busch regime but is allowed to continue his ggod job by the Obama regime. Ironically, Nigeria does not copy the good and tough things from the U.S. rather the flambouyancy and wasteful ones like the superstars.
Mr. Yar´duar the world is watching and taking records. Your late brother was loved by many other than the Northerners themselves who tactifully eliminated him. I am not saying it is pay back time but be independent in your mind and do things you should be able to live with.
Everything else has been destroyed, why not the CBN. How can it be so difficult to decide between federal character and merit. I dont think a position as sensitive as the CBN governor should be decided by which part of the country you are from.It is only in our beloved country that somebody is replaced not becuase he is not performing but because it is the turn of somebody else to chop
This Yoruba Man believes that Soludo has done a great job and has consequently earned another term. It will be very appalling if the President chooses not to reappoint him. Most financially sophisticated Nigerians also believe in Soludo. It will defy logic for the President to replace him. It should not be an ethnic issue.