$20bn missing fund: Sanusi lied –Maku

Information and National Orientation Minister, Labaran Maku yesterday slammed suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, for misinforming Nigerians with “voodoo statistics” on the alleged unremitted $20 billion crude oil proceeds.

He spoke barely 24 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan, in a media chat, assured Nigerians that government will trace the alleged missing money.

Maku told newsmen after 2014 budget defence of the Information Ministry and its parastatals that the CBN, being the nerve centre of Nigeria’s economy, its governor should not be seen making statements without verifying facts and figures.


“The CBN is the nerve centre of the nation’s financial system. If there are problems with it, it means that it can generates lot of problems in the banking system and the economy and so, the president has been trying to sort this out and between him and the CBN Governor, there have been communicating since 2013…

“He has not been removed and we don’t know when this will end but what we are saying is that the queries that were raised relating to the CBN account were false.

“As for the NNPC, don’t forget that a forensic audit of the NNPC has been ordered. Remember Sanusi said $49.8 billion was missing. How much do we earn? That means there was a free fall. But the story changed to $20 billion, $10.8 billion. So, nobody knows when voodoo statistics are coming from because if you want to say something relating to the economy as CBN Governor, his opinions are seen to be sacrosanct in any country.”

Maku further noted that consequent upon Sanusi ‘s penchant for not verifying figures before going public, this has turned the National Assembly into one big probe panel.

His words: “You don’t say something without verifying it. No CBN Governor makes statements on the nation’s economy wit verifying…These days, we see a lot of outlandish allegations. People just make allegations and turn the country into one huge investigation panel; everyday, the National Assembly is investigating…”

On Boko Haram, the minister he said that there was no doubt that the country is virtually at war with the insurgents, adding that,  through information some Nigerians who erroneously thought that Boko Haram is some kind of social movement have changed their perception of the sect.