The Emir of Kano, His Highness Muhammed Sanusi II, said on Wednesday that he will no longer assist President Bola Tinubu’s administration in communicating the benefits of its economic reforms to Nigerians.
He said his decision was due to the government’s unfriendly treatment of him.
Speaking at the 2025 Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture, the Emir remarked that the government lacks credible representatives capable of articulating the reforms effectively, and he will not fill that void.
Emir Sanusi stated, “I have decided not to speak about the economy or the reforms, nor to explain anything regarding them. If I explained, it would only benefit this government, and I don’t want to aid it.
“I choose not to help this government. You see, they are my friends. If they fail to act like friends, I will not act like one.
“I observe their actions, and they lack credible individuals who can effectively explain their policies. However, I am not here to help you. I began by offering support, but I have decided to stop.
“I won’t be able to talk about the matter any further. Let them come forward and explain to Nigerians why the policies they have pursued have been implemented. Meanwhile, I am enjoying a nice movie with popcorn in hand.
“But I will say one thing. What we are going through today is at least in part, not totally, at least in part, a necessary consequence of decades of irresponsible economic management.
“People were warned decades ago that if they continued down this path, this is where they would end up. They chose not to listen.
“Is everything being done today, correct? No. However, I will likely engage when the government is prepared to discuss the economy. For now, I am here to honour Chief Gani Fawehinmi,” Emir Sanusi stated.
The monarch also urged Nigerians to return to their foundational values of integrity and hard work.
He said, “What we need to do is revisit our values. Do we truly possess those values? Are we genuinely committed to our work? What is the integrity with which we approach our tasks? For someone like Gani, these are the lessons from his life.
“I am here to remind us all of what he stood for, to encourage us, and to plead with us to return, as I mentioned recently, to the distinction between who we are and what we are. Our identity is defined by those qualities that Gani embodies. They revolve around our values—what we can control and who we are.
“If you are a thief, you are a thief—whether you are Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Muslim, Christian, a lawyer, or otherwise. That is your identity.
“You could be from the north or the south, wealthy or poor, a president or an emir. These are aspects of your identity. You may not like it, but that’s the reality. Can we please begin to reflect and stop taking pride in superficial, misleading distinctions?” he maintained.
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