The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has responded to former President Goodluck Jonathan, insisting that he was sacked from his position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), contrary to Jonathan’s claim that he was merely suspended for investigation.

Sanusi’s rebuttal came during the launch of the book Public Policy and Agents Interests: Perspectives From The Emerging World, co-authored by Sanusi and former Minister of Planning, Dr. Shamshudeen Usman, who served under Jonathan’s administration. Earlier at the event, Jonathan had dismissed Sanusi’s previous claim that his removal from the CBN was due to his exposure of alleged corruption in the government.

The former president maintained that Sanusi was only suspended to allow for a proper investigation into an alleged missing $49.8 billion in oil revenue.

However, in a swift response from the podium just hours later, Sanusi reiterated that he was, in fact, dismissed by Jonathan and not simply suspended. “My boss who sacked me, I was constructively dismissed. I continue to respect Jonathan and I don’t have grudges against anyone,” the Emir said.

Sanusi had previously claimed that his removal from the CBN was politically motivated after he raised concerns over alleged corruption in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the missing oil funds during Jonathan’s tenure. His statement at the book launch reignited public interest in the controversial events surrounding his departure from the CBN in 2014.

Despite the apparent disagreement, Sanusi emphasized that he holds no personal grudges against the former president, reaffirming his respect for Jonathan despite the circumstances surrounding his removal.