The House of Representatives on Thursday had a rowdy session over the suspension of the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Debate on the issue started when Hon. Samson Osgaie ( APC-Edo), the Minority Whip of the House, raised a point of order on the suspension of Sanusi.
According to Osagie, the CBN Act of 2007, as amended, did not empower the President or anybody else to suspend the CBN governor.
He said Section 11 ( 7) of the Act only empowered the President to remove the governor subject to approval of two third majority of the Senate.
The legislator stressed that the allegation of financial recklessness reported by the Accounting Standards Board upon which he was suspended did not indicate if he was given fair hearing.
In his remarks, Hon. Leo Ogor ( PDP-Delta) said the action of the President was a process that could lead to Sanusi’s removal as stipulated in the CBN Act.
Also Hon. Ralph Igbokwe ( PDP-Imo) said that Section 11 of the CBN Act empowered Jonathan to suspend the governor.
However, Hon. Nkoyo Toyo ( PDP-Cross River), cautioned the House not to politicise the matter.
The House later mandated its Committees on Justice and Legislative Compliance to compile all resolutions of the House indicting public officers on which action was not taken.
Meanwhile, the House has suspended the consideration of the report of the committee on Pensions on a bill to repeal the Pension Reform Act of 2004.
The suspension of the report followed objections from some members of the Committee who disagreed on some provisions in the bill.
The House has adjourned plenary to March 11 to allow members to work on the 2014 budget.