Sanusi’s Alleged Girlfriend Is Not A CBN Employee
CBN rubbishes report on Sanusi’s alleged girlfriend •Says “Dr. Maryam Yaro is not, and has never been an employee of CBN”
Contrary to a report making the rounds since Sunday, veterinary
expert Dr. Maryam Yaro was neither employed by Central Bank of Nigeria
Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, nor is she an employee of the
bank.
CBN Director, Corporate Communications, Ugochukwu A. Okoroafor, made
the clarification in a letter faulting a report by the online newspaper
Premium Times, which claimed that Dr. Maryam Yaro is Sanusi’s girlfriend
and was employed by the CBN Governor because of their alleged romantic
relationship.
Documents attached to the letter dated 3rd June, 2013 and addressed
to The Ag. Managing Editor of Premium Times, Mr. Idris Akinbajo, showed
that Dr. Maryam Yaro is an expert seconded to the CBN by the Nigeria
Incentive-based Risk-sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL)
Plc, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of the Nigerian Government.
But citing Governor Sanusi’s “usual practice of not responding to
libelous comments on his person,” the CBN chose not to respond to
Premium Times’ allegation of a romantic relationship between Sanusi and
Maryam. Even so, the apex bank noted that the said allegations “are
consistent with previous attacks” on Sanusi’s person by the paper.
Below is the text of the letter, a copy of which is in possession of News Express:
“Our attention has been drawn to the libelous story posted on your
website on 2nd June, 2013, on the Governor of the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN), and which has now been circulated by other online
websites and blogging groups.
“The post was full of fabrication and inaccuracies. Ordinarily this
would have been best ignored. We are however constrained to write to you
on account of the severe implications of the allegations for the
integrity of the CBN, as an institution.
“It is also important to reaffirm our long-standing commitment to due
process and international best practice in the discharge of every
aspect of our statutory mandate.
“We wish to state that CBN is an equal opportunity employer, which
prides itself with having female members of staff that possess the
highest qualifications, competencies and skills. It is rather
reprehensible for anyone to cast such aspersions on the qualifications
and integrity of our female staff.
“In the publication, you made the following false allegations:
“That Dr. Maryam Yaro is a staff of the CBN at the level of Assistant
Director and that she was recruited without due process, as she was not
qualified for the role.
“That the CBN Governor introduced Dr. Yaro to the CBN and exerted pressure on the Human Resources Department to recruit her.
“We wish to state the fact as follows:
“Dr. Maryam Yaro is not, and has never been an employee of the
Central Bank of Nigeria. She was one of four consultants (three of whom
were male), hired by the Nigeria Incentive-based Risk-sharing System for
Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Plc; on a one year contract, renewable on
the basis of satisfactory performance. NIRSAL Plc is a special purpose
vehicle (SPV) set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria, through a
partnership between the CBN and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development (FMARD).
“In the course of establishing NIRSAL, the Hon. Minister of State for
Agriculture and Rural Development, through a formal letter, recommended
Dr. Yaro to participate in the project as a Specialist on Rural Finance
Access.
“Dr. Yaro was hired after a rigorous selection process conducted by
the NIRSAL Project Implementation Office. This clearly contradicts the
claim that Dr. Yaro was brought in by the CBN Governor.
“Contrary to allegation that the Governor expedited recruitment of
Dr. Yaro, the PIO’s recommendation to hire her as a Consultant was
written on March 30, 2012 but only received final approval on June 20,
2012.
“It is pertinent to add that Dr. Yaro’s academic qualifications and
experience eminently qualify her for the job. She is a Doctor of
Veterinary Medicine (DVM), who speaks three Nigerian languages, and has
extensive experience working with farmers across the country on
different agricultural programmes. She has also been a consultant to the
Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO); and was one of the experts
working in the National Programme on Food Security before she was
engaged by NIRSAL.
“Please find attached, the relevant documents in support of the facts
stated above and we hope you will give this the same publicity you gave
your initial story.
“We have noted that the other allegations in the post border on the
person of the CBN Governor and are consistent with previous attacks. In
line with the Governor’s usual practice of not responding to these
libelous comments on his person, we have decided not to respond.
“The CBN shall remain resolute in the pursuit of its statutory
mandates regardless of any attempt to distract the institution or its
officers.”
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