April 25, 2012 | 7:00 pm

News

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

Sanusi denies committing plagiarism against US Don
……says I’ve not been served any court process

ABUJA- Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, wednesday, denied allegation
that he copied the research work of a United States based Nigerian Professor, Victor E.
Dike and presented it as his own ideas at a public lecture he delivered in Edo state on
November 26, 2010. Sanusi who refuted the allegation via a press statement that was issued by the Central
Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Wednesday insisted that he did not write the said paper that
culminated to the lawsuit currently pending before the Abuja Division of the Federal
High Court. It will be recalled that the court presided by Justice
Adamu Bello, on Monday, summoned the CBN governor to
appear on May 31 to defend himself over his alleged
complicity in acts of plagiarism. The Court equally granted the plaintiff, Prof. Dike, who is
an Adjunct Professor at the School of Engineering and
Technology, National University, Sacremento and Chief
Executive Officer and Founder of Centre for Social Justice
and Human Development in California, leave to paste the
court processes at the Notice Board of the apex bank, situated within the Central Business District, Cadastral
Zone AO, of Abuja. However, the CBN boss denied receiving the court papers,
just as he refuted allegation that his security personnel
thwarted efforts by the court bailiff to effect service on him. The statement which was signed by the Director, Corporate Communications at the
CBN, Mr Ugochukwu A. Okoroafor, reads: “The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria
has been drawn to reports in the media regarding a suit against the Governor, Sanusi
Lamido Sanusi, by one Victor E. Dike, who is said to be a professor of Engineering and
Technology, National University Sacramento, USA. “It is important to provide some clarifications on the matter. First, as at the time of
release of this statement, no court papers in respect of the said suit, had been served
on the Governor. “Furthermore, and for the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that
Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi did not write the said paper. Governors of the Central
Bank of Nigeria, just like Chief Executive Officers of similar institutions in Nigeria and
abroad, deliver papers, not in their personal capacities, but on behalf of the institutions
for which they are chief spokespersons. “In the case of the CBN, such papers, even though presented by the Governor,
represent our collective views and are prepared by professional researchers in the
relevant departments of the Bank. We can vouch that such papers are prepared in line
with strict global and ethical standards. “As a responsible public institution, we always cooperate fully with court officers and
our well trained and responsible security officers have ever been under strict
instructions to treat them with the appropriate dignity and respect they deserve. “While awaiting details of the alleged suit, it is pertinent to state that speeches
delivered by the current Governor, focus on the core mandates of the Bank and are
direct contributions to discourse on national development. “At a time like this, when the Bank is deeply committed to critical reforms of the
banking system, the least we can do is to focus on the arduous task of bequeathing to
the nation a financial system that will effectively improve the collective welfare of the
Nigerian people.” Specifically, the plaintiff, told the high court that he was the original author of a
research wok entitled:“Review of the challenges facing the Nigerian Economy: (Is
national development possible without technological capability?), which he said the
CBN boss copied verbatim and delivered as his paper during the eight convocation
ceremony of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State. Prof Dike said he was forced to approach the high court for redress upon discovering
that the CBN governor had in six separate occasions, plagiarized his intellectual works,
just as he has asked the court to make a declaration that the defendant is in breach of
the copyrights of the plaintiff. As well as to grant, “a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from citing the two papers delivered by the defendant on the 26 th of November 2010, and 10th of December 2010 respectively as his work, having breached the Copyrights of the
plaintiff without proper reference and citation in accordance with Copyrights Acts.”

www.vanguardngr.com/2012/04/sanusi-denies-committing-plagiarism-against-us-don/

Sanusi is like a drowning man leaping out at every leaf in sight for safety. What a watery attempt to obscure clear issues! That the CBN "researched" & Sanusi "made the presentation" doesnt scratch the allegation of plagiarism because the source was not quoted & the paper presented as the work of Sanusi of CBN, not by Sanusi for/on behalf of CBN. He will soon learn that lesson from the Court.