Another United States cable released by Wikileaks yesterday revealed that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido, believed that late President Umaru Yar’Adua did not have a cabinet but “just a bunch of politicians trying to survive politically without any commitment to government”
The cable which was classified by US Ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Sanders and sent to the US state department stated that in a conversation she had in November 2009 with the CBN governor, he expressed grave reservations about Yar’Adua’s survivalists, among whom he named the Foreign Minister, Ojo Maduekwe.
According to Wikileaks report, the CBN governor doubted the capability of several ministers, especially the Minister of Power Rilwan (Lanre) Babalola and the Minister of Finance, Mansur Muhtar, to make the right decisions in their sectors.
Lamido was even more concerned, according to the leaked cable, about the ability of President Yar’Adua and Foreign Minister Maduekwe to demonstrate “strong and consistent signals to the international community of where Nigeria is headed on both good governance and reform.”
Despite those reservations, Mr. Sanusi gave Yar’Adua high marks for the support Yar’Adua gave him during the bank audits and sector reform the CBN governor had undertaken. He told Ambassador Sanders, “What [Yar’Adua] did during this very tough period showed that he is willing when he can withstand the pressure of the politics.”
Sanusi was referring to the fact that Yar’Adua stood against forces in his family that included both his mother and his brother, both of whom put pressure on him to “drop Bank PHB,” from the audit and name-and-shame lists.
With reference to Minister of Power Babalola, the CBN governor was of the view that not only was he out of his depth regarding what needed to be done in the power sector, but also that he was reluctant to listen to advice.
Mr. Sanusi was less critical of Finance Minister Muhtar, his former secondary school classmate, whom he described as a “good technocrat” but was concerned Muhtar was feeling overwhelmed by the size and the problems in his Ministry; was not making sound financial decisions; and could not stand up to the politics around him.
Asked by the Ambassador about the integrity of the Finance Minister Sanusi said Muhtar was “not corrupt but weak.”
With reference to the politics, Lamido said that Muhtar was “heavily, and unfortunately influenced, of late, by Presidential Chief Economic Advisor Tanimu Yakubu and Agricultural Minister Abba Ruma.”
Sanusi told the Ambassador that the influence by these two would be okay if they had the country’s best interests at heart, rather than their personal interests.
“Right now the President is not receiving frank advice on the economy from the people who are supposed to have the responsibility of giving it to him, and at the heart of this is simply corruption,” Sanusi said.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayThe cable which was classified by US Ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Sanders and sent to the US state department stated that in a conversation she had in November 2009 with the CBN governor, he expressed grave reservations about Yar’Adua’s survivalists, among whom he named the Foreign Minister, Ojo Maduekwe.
According to Wikileaks report, the CBN governor doubted the capability of several ministers, especially the Minister of Power Rilwan (Lanre) Babalola and the Minister of Finance, Mansur Muhtar, to make the right decisions in their sectors.
Lamido was even more concerned, according to the leaked cable, about the ability of President Yar’Adua and Foreign Minister Maduekwe to demonstrate “strong and consistent signals to the international community of where Nigeria is headed on both good governance and reform.”
Despite those reservations, Mr. Sanusi gave Yar’Adua high marks for the support Yar’Adua gave him during the bank audits and sector reform the CBN governor had undertaken. He told Ambassador Sanders, “What [Yar’Adua] did during this very tough period showed that he is willing when he can withstand the pressure of the politics.”
Sanusi was referring to the fact that Yar’Adua stood against forces in his family that included both his mother and his brother, both of whom put pressure on him to “drop Bank PHB,” from the audit and name-and-shame lists.
With reference to Minister of Power Babalola, the CBN governor was of the view that not only was he out of his depth regarding what needed to be done in the power sector, but also that he was reluctant to listen to advice.
Mr. Sanusi was less critical of Finance Minister Muhtar, his former secondary school classmate, whom he described as a “good technocrat” but was concerned Muhtar was feeling overwhelmed by the size and the problems in his Ministry; was not making sound financial decisions; and could not stand up to the politics around him.
Asked by the Ambassador about the integrity of the Finance Minister Sanusi said Muhtar was “not corrupt but weak.”
With reference to the politics, Lamido said that Muhtar was “heavily, and unfortunately influenced, of late, by Presidential Chief Economic Advisor Tanimu Yakubu and Agricultural Minister Abba Ruma.”
Sanusi told the Ambassador that the influence by these two would be okay if they had the country’s best interests at heart, rather than their personal interests.
“Right now the President is not receiving frank advice on the economy from the people who are supposed to have the responsibility of giving it to him, and at the heart of this is simply corruption,” Sanusi said.
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