…Says, ministers, SAs must stop praising singing
The Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II, has tasked political appointees on the need to always give the President honest advice that can help restore the nation’s economy and meet the yearnings of the citizens.
This was as he particularly condemned what he described as “the growing culture of excessive praise” for political leaders during official functions, and emphasised that such stifles honest feedback and good governance.
Sanusi, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), specifically admonished ministers and special advisers against turning themselves into praise singers as against carrying out the functions of their offices.
Sanusi, who spoke on the need for ‘integrity and courage in public service’ on Monday in Abuja, at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference and Book Launch, lamented that Nigeria’s leadership crisis has been worsened by sycophancy, stressing that those who tell the truth are often branded as enemies of the government.
In the words of Emir Sanusi; “Our leaders listen, but only to those who tell them what they want to hear. Nigeria has too many sycophants in government. Those who speak the truth are seen as enemies of the state.
“You sit in a meeting, and the President is there. The first thing people say is, ‘Mr. President, I want to thank you for your great leadership. God has blessed Nigeria by making you our leader. By the time they finish laying that foundation, it is their advice that the President accepts.
“But when you tell the truth and point out what is wrong, they say you are the enemy. That is why people like Atedo Peterside and myself are always seen as enemies of the state because people don’t like hearing the truth,” he stated.
The Emir therefore challenged ministers and presidential advisers to restore integrity to public service by speaking truth to power, stressing that blind loyalty has been one of Nigeria’s greatest obstacles to progress.
He further said; “Those who work with the President must understand that it is not in their benefit to turn themselves into praise singers. You disgrace yourself and the office you hold when you do that”.
Speaking on the economy, Sanusi commended the Tinubu administration for removing fuel subsidy and unifying exchange rates, noting that while both were “painful”, they were necessary steps.
Sanusi, however warned that the reforms will fail if not matched with institutional discipline and prudent spending, stressing that if the payment of subsidies is stopped, but continue borrowing more, it only translates into filling one hole only to dig others.
According to Sanusi; “The real challenge now is the quality of government spending and the management of the revenues saved. Nigeria’s current economic crisis was the consequence of years of policy inconsistency and populist politics. The same politicians who opposed subsidy removal in 2012 are now implementing it.
“In 2012, we warned that the subsidy was unsustainable, but politics took over. Now the same people who led protests against it have inherited the problem and had no choice but to do the right thing,” he noted.
The former governor of the CBN called for urgent action to cut waste in government, reduce the size of the cabinet, and demonstrate leadership by example.
In his words; “Why do we need 48 ministers? Why do we need long convoys of vehicles and endless travel expenses? We cannot preach sacrifice to the people while living in luxury at the top.”
The conference with the theme; “Reimagining Leadership and Governance in a Changing Africa,” brought together policymakers, development experts, and academics to discuss pathways for effective governance and institutional reform.
Speaking in turn, Mr. Atedo Peterside, founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, while dissecting Nigeria’s economic policies and governance challenges, called for fiscal responsibility, stressing that the government must prove that savings from subsidy removal are being used to uplift ordinary Nigerians.
In the words of Peterside; “It’s not true that pain automatically brings gain. Gain only follows pain if the government spends wisely, eliminates waste, and supports the poor”.
