Concerned over the cry by well meaning Nigerians that the forced departure of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, could send the wrong signals to the international investmentcommunity, president Goodluck Jonathan has bowed to calls not to force the CBN Governor to resign.
President Goodluck Jonathan had asked Mr. Sanusi to resign on the grounds that he leaked the letter that he had written to the president on the unremitted $49.8 billion oil revenue to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
But Sanusi immediately denied the allegation and refused to step down, reminding the president that he could only be removed by two-thirds of the Senate.
Both the president and Sanusi were reported to have engaged each other in a heated telephone exchange after being asked by the president to resign.
Sanusi had on Wednesday met with the staff of the central bank them that his earlier decision to go on terminal leave in March had been rescinded and that he was prepared to stay out his tenure.
A presidency source however said Sanusi would no longer be forced to resign.
Intervention from well-meaning Nigerians who moved promptly to appeal to the president to rethink his demand that the CBN governor should resign has lead to a rapproachment, during which Sanusi affirmed his respect for the Office of the President and the president, as well as his desire to continue to work in theinterest of the federal government until he steps down on June 1, the source said.
According to the presidency source, with the resolution of the matter, an orderly transition would commence on March 1, paving the way for the appointment of a new CBN governor who would take over from Sanusi.
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