In what has sent tongues wagging and tempers rising over the sheer invidiousness of the gesture, Mallam Sanusi Lamido, CBN Governor made a donation of N100 million to victims of the recent Kano bomb blast perpetrated by Boko Haram.

Any attempt to bring succor to people in sorrow and assuage their pain deserves commendation. Mallam Sanusi in ordinary terms and different circumstances has performed a noble act of philanthropy. But that act has won him, not the commendation, but the anger and condemnation of many Nigerians who see in his apparent act of kindness evidence of double standard, moral failure if not criminal abuse of position. For one, Mallam Sanusi who many have for long seen as a religious bigot, fundamentalist and ethnic throwback, is from Kano. He is in fact from a prominent lineage of the Kano ruling elite. Sanusi’s critics want to know what makes Kano deserving of this act of philanthropy than other towns and cities of, even the North, that have come under the terrorist ministration of Boko Haram. Is this not a case of partiality to one’s kith and kin?

A more fundamental question, one that calls attention to potential abuse of office of a criminal kind, is that which seeks to know from which source Sanusi derives the authority to dole out such largesse. As a public servant, a political appointee, is the CBN governor empowered to dole out such amount of funds, the question goes? Even ministers have a financial ceiling (N50 million?) beyond which they cannot go without approval from a higher authority.

Many Have Been Asking From what section of the rules and regulations guiding the office of the CBN governor does Sanusi get the authorization to give out public money in this fashion? Was it his personal money? If not, where did he get the money from? And why was it presented as a personal act of kindness? However, the CBN has come out to say that the donation was part of its Corporate Social Responsibility which is backed by regulation.

Another report gave it out that Mallam Sanusi has promised to return the money should it be found that it was unauthorised. But where will he get the money to repay from- the same CSR fund from which he took it in the first instance? What evidence can the CBN provide for past acts of CSR in this regard?

The donation of N100 million is quite a little sum compared to the loss and pain, a lot of it irreparable, suffered by the people of Kano and other parts of Nigeria that have been visited by the mindless terrorism of Boko Haram. How much can be paid to the many dead or their dependants who died or lost property in Kano? Is it those made orphans, widows and widowers, in the Christmas day bombing in Madalla that some donation of money will compensate? No amount of money would be enough for such people. But what is being questioned here is the principle behind Mallam Sanusi’s act of kindness.