Sanusi Criticizes Rewarding Corrupt Individuals with Ministerial Roles

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has strongly condemned the appointment of individuals with questionable integrity into ministerial and public service roles, stating that Nigeria must stop rewarding those who steal public funds with leadership positions.

Speaking during an appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme aired on Wednesday, the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor expressed dismay over the erosion of the nation’s moral compass, saying the country’s value system has collapsed.

“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 warned.

He criticised the prevailing culture where individuals with tainted reputations are not only tolerated but celebrated and reappointed into positions of power. According to him, such a system encourages a cycle of corruption and dishonesty that undermines national development.

Sanusi further noted that many public officials enter government for personal enrichment rather than service, stating, “Many people go into government to make money, but you don’t go into government to make money.”

He lamented the decline of values such as diligence, honesty, and compassion, pointing out that these have been replaced by a widespread glorification of wealth regardless of how it is acquired.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 said.

The Emir’s remarks have sparked renewed conversation around the quality of leadership in Nigeria and the urgent need for value-driven governance.