The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has attacked the appointment of individuals with questionable character to public service, stressing that Nigeria must stop rewarding those who steal state funds with cabinet positions.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme broadcast on Wednesday, the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor stated that the country’s value structure has failed, and consumerism now trumps honesty and integrity.
“A society in which material wealth, no matter how you get it, is respected… where people who are known to have stolen money get rewarded with ministerial appointments… that society will continue to reproduce itself,” Sanusi said.
He condemned the current habit of celebrating and recycling persons with tarnished reputations into government posts, claiming that such a system breeds corruption and dishonesty.
Sanusi stated that many public officials lack adequate upbringing and a sense of moral duty and that many pursue government positions purely for personal gain.
“Many people go into government to make money, but you don’t go into government to make money,” he said.
According to the monarch, values such as diligence, honesty, and compassion have been replaced by the glorification of wealth, no matter how it is acquired.
“We have been ruled by people who have no values… They define themselves by what they own: houses, private jets, billions in bank accounts,” he lamented.
Reflecting on the late former Head of State, Murtala Muhammed, Sanusi stated that Nigeria urgently requires a full regeneration of its ideals and institutions.
He contended that politicians caused the rot in the public service and that restoring the system is critical to empowering civil servants to resist illegitimate commands.
He concluded that societal reform could not be left simply to the president, governors, or ministries, and urged all Nigerians to work together to recover and restore ethical norms.
