Amaechi explains why he leaked Sanusi’s letter to Jonathan

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has explained why he leaked a letter written by former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, wrote to former President, Goodluck Jonathan on oil funds which had gone missing from the account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Amaechi made the revelation via a statement issued by his media office on Thursday, May 5, 2016.

It reads:

“To put the records straight, we want to categorically state that a concerned and patriotic Nigerian, who felt troubled with what was happening then, gave a copy of the Sanusi’s letter to Amaechi in Amaechi’s capacity as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. Like Amaechi, we should appreciate that concerned Nigerian’s patriotism.

“When Amaechi got the letter, he spoke to Sanusi who was still the CBN governor to confirm the authenticity of the letter. Sanusi confirmed to Amaechi that he wrote the letter.

“During their conversation, Amaechi made it abundantly clear to the then CBN governor that the looting of the nation had to be stopped and that all non-remitted funds should be remitted and that he (Amaechi) was going to use the letter to do whatever was in the best interest of the nation and Nigerians.

“This was the stoppage of the non-remittance and the recovery of all the non-remitted funds from oil sales. The CBN governor didn’t agree with Amaechi on the way forward.

“Around that period, a delegation from the United States’ government, specifically from the offices of the secretaries of state and defence visited Amaechi in Port Harcourt to discuss the issue of oil theft in Nigeria.

“From their records, they gave Amaechi figures of billions of dollars (about $7bn annually) that was being lost to oil theft in Nigeria. They were discussing the issue and the figures of oil theft, and that was how the CBN governor’s letter to former President Jonathan came up.

“In the presence of journalists covering the visit, Amaechi brought out the Sanusi’s letter and showed the visiting American delegation to buttress the point that Nigeria was losing far more money to the non-remittance of proceeds from oil sales into the Federation Account.”

Sanusi had revealed on Wednesday, May 4, that Jonathan ordered him to resign after the letter leaked.