Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Reported Fire in CBN gov’s home: Sanusi sets the rerocd straight

From: Sanusi Lamido Sanusi
Sent: Monday, January 9, 2012 6:02 PM
Protesters set vans ablaze, sought to set fire on CBN gov’s home
 
Thank you everyone let me confirm that no one succeeded in burning my house and no member of my family was harmed. I also was fully aware of the risks I was running when I decided to maintain honest correspondence between my views in closed door meetings and in public.

I am a member of the National Economic Council, chaired by the VPM members include minister of finance, minister of planning, every state governor and FCT minister. Every member of NEC supported subsidy removal. For 3 months the state governors have made it clear that if a kobo is deducted from their funds for subsidy there will be trouble. All state governors without exception pushed for subsidy removal. All members of NEMT also endorsed it.

But we all knew it was unpopular and I suppose for some people the approach is to either deny their position in public or keep quiet and let people believe it was a decision taken by president jonathan or the finance minister. These discussions have been on going even before ngozi was appointed and the decision to remove subsidy was effectively made even before the elections.

So when I chose to speak publicly and to come out and defend the policy I must have known that an angry mob can react in an unpredictable manner. I did get death threats and abuse. There have been sermons in mosques and curses rained on me. The final decision on subsidy-whether it will be removed or partially or fully reinstated we will only know with time as a result of this political process.

For me personally, I do not know the meaning of fear. Rather than come out and say publicly something different from what I said in private I am willing to have not just my house burnt but my life taken. We will all go sometime. Some of our brothers have just died today and may Allah have mercy on their souls.
I am sad about all the unnecessary violence and the deaths. People must have the right to disagree with government policy, but the discipline to do so peacefully and without violence and destruction. And law enforcement agents must also learn how to avoid the use of excessive force. Why must people die? Two wrongs never make a right.

I am devastated today not because of the targeting of my house but because of the deaths. In 1977/8 I was a student activist and one of the participants in the Ali Must Go riots in ABU. The military killed some of our compatriots and I still remember the mourning in our ranks. That was the end of NUNS as we knew it then. Today I mourn with all those who lost dear ones and compatriots. I still believe that the economic arguments are tilted in favour of removing subsidies, and that we should reason through these and agree what else needs to be done, but the violence and bloodshed are unnecessary.

As for me, I do understand why anger is directed towards me. It is human not to separate the bearer of a message from the message itself, and if I defend a policy people don't want how can they possibly be happy with me? But the point is I knew this before today, it did not change anything. And even if my house had been burnt down it would not make me say I don't support FSR or scurry into hiding.

What will happen will happen

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