Sanusi Warns President Muhammadu Buhari with Timely Advice...See Details

 

Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II yesterday warned President Muhammadu Buhari against praise singers and sycophants, The Nation reports.

 

According to the traditional ruler, these praise singers and sycophants are the real “enemies” of the government who could “destroy” his efforts.

 

Sanusi II further told Buhari not to resist criticisms, Sanusi said: “I feel sorry for the people in government because they are surrounded by enemies.”

 

He said the President needed people who will tell him where he goes wrong. Sanusi said he defied a directive by the Goodluck Jonathan administration to resign as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor after he blew the whistle that $20 billion oil money was missing.

 

The Emir, who chaired the 10th Kehinde Sofola (SAN) memorial lecture in Lagos, said he was not surprised when he was suspended by former President Jonathan.

 

According to him, in blowing the whistle on the missing money, he was not afraid because he knew he was not going to remain CBN governor forever. The emir said because he knew power was transient, he spoke the truth, no matter the consequences. He said some were afraid to speak out against evil because they were afraid of losing their jobs.

“All the people they were afraid of years ago, where are they today? For those who are still in power, remember that it is transient,” he said.

 

He spoke of praise singers in his palace who always tell him he would rule “forever”, but that he would never consult them for advice on serious issues. The emir said he refused to join those who abuse Jonathan after he had left office, adding that the best time to criticise a leader is when he is in power.

“If you want to be a true Nigerian, tell the present government where they’re going wrong,” he said.

 

According to Sanusi, those who loot public funds and steal the commonwealth forget that there is a limit to the amount of food they can eat at any given time; that they can only ride in one car at a time, even if they have a fleet of cars, and can only sleep in one bed even if they have so many houses.

 

Recalling his exit from the CBN, he said: “At the end of the day, this job, Central Bank, I’d leave it someday. I could die, or my tenure expires, or I’d be sacked. I had no control over it. But I have a control over how I live.

 

The emir said fear holds those in government back from speaking truth to power.

 

“Power is transient. The only thing that is permanent is what you do for people when you were alive. If you’re a governor or a president or a minister, it does not matter how much you have; you will be remembered for service, not the amount of money you have that you cannot even announce,” Sanusi said.

 

The theme of the memorial lecture, delivered by Dr Wale Babalakin (SAN), was: The role of the legal profession in nation building: the Nigerian context.

 

The Emir said judiciary could play more roles in nation building if there is more emphasis on merit rather than federal character.

 

“The people that we choose to run our country are never our first team, second team and third team. That needs to change,” Sanusi said.