The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has lamented the decline of values across various levels of Nigerian society.
He asserts that the Nigerian society must cease to reward individuals who have misappropriated the nation’s resources while serving as public officials with additional public opportunities.
“The entire value system of the country has been compromised,” remarked the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“In a society where material wealth, regardless of its acquisition, is esteemed and celebrated, where individuals known for embezzling funds are granted ministerial positions, that society will perpetuate its own cycle.
“We lack a sense of revulsion towards those in public office who accumulate wealth; instead, we honor them with appointments, additional public roles, and further chances to gather wealth, and this is the reality of Nigeria today,” he expressed.
Sanusi noted that many individuals in public positions were not raised with proper values, which contributes to their misconduct and misguided understanding of the purpose of public service. “Many enter government to generate wealth, but the purpose of entering government is not to make money,” he stated.
“We have been governed by individuals devoid of values; they possess no legacy to uphold, nor do they aspire to leave a legacy behind. These individuals define themselves by their possessions; the number of houses they own, the private jets they possess, the billions in their bank accounts. They perceive this as significant.
“It does not concern them that the public views them as thieves, as criminals, as those who have seized the commonwealth. This is of no importance to them because, for them, values hold no significance,” he concluded.
He stated that both leaders and citizens share the responsibility for revitalizing the values within the nation.
In his view, material wealth should not be prioritized over fundamental values such as honesty, diligence, and compassion, among others.
“I believe we require a complete revitalization of values. It is not solely the responsibility of one individual; the president, governors, or ministers cannot single-handedly transform this country,” he remarked.
Sanusi noted that politicians have undermined the civil service, emphasizing that Nigeria must focus on reinforcing the system to empower civil servants to refuse requests from politicians that would lead them to violate the rules.
