*I’ll drive myself to prison – Sanusi
The suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, is in the eye of the storm for what many see as his outspokenness and controversial position on critical national issues, especially his revelation about unremitted funds to the Federation Account by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Shortly before his suspension by the President, he spoke to Metropole magazine.
Excerpts: You have stepped on very powerful toes, including possibly the President’s and in three to four months, you will be out of this place. Are you ready for the possible backlash?
It will come and we will take life as it goes. For me, it’s never really a big deal. First of all, there is nothing in life that is very important to me. So I do not have any fear of loss. I have never lacked anything but that doesn’t mean I am obsessed with anything. If anybody wants to put me in prison I have always said just tell me what prison to go to and I would drive myself there, and pay my own transport fare there and I can maintain myself there in the period that you have set out for me. And I will come out. It’s just a location.
This is not about the President because sometimes when I sit with the President I don’t think he really has a personal problem with me. But you know it is power we are talking about and there are people around power who continue to say things and continue to cause difficulties. In all of these things I have never mentioned the President even in the current controversy concerning the NNPC. I wrote him a letter asking him to investigate and in the letter I was very clear that I did not think he was aware of what was happening. So, if anybody takes that as an attack on the president, that’s them and it’s not me.
PUNCH
