The
Central Bank of Nigeria has said that its Governor, Mr. Lamido Sanusi,
is only entitled to N25,000 per night for his local trips.
The bank said this in its reply to a
letter by civil rights lawyer, Mr. Bamidele Aturu requesting Sanusi to
disclose, among others, his total monthly remuneration and other
entitlements.
Bulk of Sanusi’s earnings, including the
cost of his foreign trips, was however not disclosed, a development
Aturu had said he was “not completely satisfied with”.
Aturu had, through a letter dated
December 31, 2012, requested for the information on the strength of the
Freedom of Information Act.
The legal practitioner had also sought to
know how much was Sanusi’s monthly impress and the cost of his trips
within and outside the country.
However, the CBN, in its reply to
Aturu’s request, through a letter dated January 16, 2013, by the apex
bank’s Director/Legal Adviser, Legal Services Department, S.M Onekutu,
cited a pending case as the reason for declining to release the details
of Sanusi’s total remuneration.
“The governor is entitled to N25,000 per
night as incidental allowance on his local trips,” Onekutu said,
responding to part of Aturu’s questions.
On why the cost of Sanusi’s trips
abroad, could not be disclosed, Onekutu merely said, “The governor’s
entitlement is as approved by the Federal Government”.
On Sanusi’s total remuneration, the
letter read in part, “The governor’s remuneration is as stipulated by
the Board and approved by Mr. President in accordance with Section 8(3)
of the CBN Act.
“Besides, the governor’s emolument, and
indeed, the emolument structure of the CBN is benchmarked against the
Banking industry as approved in the Federal Government’s White Paper on
the Presidential Committee on Consolidation of Emoluments in the Public
Service.
“However, we are unable to release the
details at the governor’s alary and allowances as that information is
already subject of litigation in Suit No FHC/L/CS/016/2011: Uzoegwu F.O
.C Vs CBN & HAGF. The matter is an appeal and it will be prejudice
to comment on it.”
PUNCH
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