The Emir of Kano and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Muhammadu Sanusi II, has cautioned ministers and presidential aides against becoming praise singers instead of providing President Bola Tinubu with honest counsel capable of rescuing Nigeria’s struggling economy.
Sanusi issued the warning on Tuesday during the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference and Book Launch in Abuja, where he joined other notable Nigerians to assess the nation’s economic trajectory and leadership challenges.
According to the Emir, Nigeria’s governance crisis continues to worsen because of sycophancy and a lack of integrity among public officials who prioritise personal gain over truth.
“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,” he said.
He criticised the habit of excessive flattery at official functions, describing it as an obstacle to accountability and sound governance.
“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,” he lamented.
Sanusi urged government officials to uphold integrity and speak truth to power, emphasising that blind loyalty and self-interest have slowed the country’s progress.
“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,” he added.
Turning his attention to the economy, Sanusi commended the Tinubu administration for removing fuel subsidy and unifying exchange rates, describing the measures as “painful but necessary steps.” However, he warned that the reforms would not yield results without fiscal discipline and transparent spending.
“If you stop paying subsidies but continue borrowing more, it means you’ve filled one hole only to dig another. The real challenge now is the quality of government spending and the management of the revenues saved,” he explained.
The former CBN boss, who served between 2009 and 2014, blamed years of policy inconsistency and populist politics for the current economic downturn, recalling that some of those now in government had previously opposed the same reforms they are implementing.
“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.
Sanusi also questioned the size of the current cabinet, calling for a cut in wasteful government spending.
“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,” he stated.
In a related comment, founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Atedo Peterside, supported Sanusi’s call for fiscal responsibility and accountability in governance.
“It’s not true that pain automatically brings gain. Gain only follows pain if the government spends wisely, eliminates waste and supports the poor,” Peterside said.
