The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has declared his decision to withhold advice from President Bola Tinubu’s administration on addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges.
Speaking on Wednesday at the 21st Memorial Lecture of Chief Gani Fawehinmi in Lagos, where he served as chairman, Sanusi expressed his frustration and decision to disengage.
“I can give a few points here about what we are going through and how it was predictable and avoidable. But I am not going to do that. I have chosen not to speak on the economy, or reforms, or to explain anything because if I explain it, it will help this government. But I don’t want to help this government. They are my friends, but if they don’t behave like friends, I won’t behave like a friend,” he declared.
He criticized the government for lacking capable individuals to effectively communicate their policies to the populace.
“They don’t even have people with pedigree that can come and explain to the people what they are doing. I am not going to help. I started by helping, but I am not going to help. Let them come and explain to Nigerians why they are pursuing the policies that they are pursuing,” Sanusi said.
The Emir also reflected on the root causes of Nigeria’s economic woes, attributing them to years of poor governance.
“What we are going through today is at least in part, a necessary consequence of decades of irresponsible management. People were warning that if we continued the way that we were going, this is how we will end up, but they refused to listen,” he noted.
While he refrained from further commentary on current policies, Sanusi hinted at speaking on the economy when he deems the time right.
In his address, he also urged lawyers to emulate the late Gani Fawehinmi, whom he described as a model of character and virtues largely absent in today’s legal profession.
