Nigeria has suffered from lousy leadership for years – Kano Emir Sanusi
Nigeria has suffered from lousy leadership for years – Kano Emir Sanusi
The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has expressed concern over Nigeria’s longstanding struggles with ineffective leadership, stating that the nation has endured decades of what he termed as “lousy” governance.
Speaking at the second edition of the Kano International Poetry Festival (KAPFEST) on Saturday, the prominent traditional ruler emphasized that Nigeria’s fortunes have been hindered by a persistent lack of competent leaders.
The event, held in Kano and organised by the Poetic Wednesdays Initiative (PWI), brought together poets, intellectuals, and cultural figures from across the country.
According to Emir Sanusi, the recent removal of the fuel subsidy by the federal government may have prevented the country from plunging into bankruptcy.
He described the move as a necessary, though difficult, economic decision.
He also stressed that the path to national recovery lies in the pursuit of good governance, noting that Nigeria’s current state is a result of repeated leadership failures over the years.
“Good governance is the only way out,” he said, highlighting the urgent need for visionary and responsible leadership to steer the country toward stability and growth.
He said, “You rise and fall with the quality of your leadership and Nigeria has had lousy leadership for a long time. You cannot give what you do not have until we begin to look at the people who we choose to lead us.
“And that’s the truth. I mean, in most parts of this country, you look at people who are leading you and you say, oh God, is this really the person? How did we end up here? You see it every day on the newspapers.
“You see it in the news. You see what happens in the legislature. You see the kind of debates that we are having, the kind of arguments that we have, the kind of time we waste on issues that are totally unimportant, the pettiness. You look at other countries, you look at other parts of the world, people are discussing climate change, discussing artificial intelligence.
“We are still talking about Yoruba or Igbo or Hausa, Northern or Christian, you know, that is, we are still mired in that debate. We are still in conversations that we had in the 1960s,” he added.
The Emir, however, urged Nigerian youth to take charge of the nation’s future by stepping up to replace the older generation currently in power.
He emphasized that with determination and unity, young people have the capacity to retire the old guard and assume leadership roles across the country.
He further reiterated that fuel subsidies were never a sustainable policy, adding that Nigeria would likely be bankrupt today if President Bola Tinubu had not taken the bold step to remove them
He said, “If you look at the billions and billions that were spent on subsidy, if that money had been spent on refineries, I have nothing against subsidies. If you are subsidizing production, I said it very clearly, my objection is the subsidy on consumption because we’re keeping refineries in Europe open. We’re giving jobs to refiners.
“And if we had taken 2012, we would not be where we are today. Now, people say to me, why aren’t you talking? I say, what am I to say? This is exactly what I said would happen because beyond a point, government revenue will not be enough to pay the subsidy. You have to borrow to pay the subsidy,”
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JUST IN; Oyo Governor, Makinde names Olubadan as Chairman Oyo Council of Obas
JUST IN; Oyo Governor, Makinde names Olubadan as Chairman Oyo Council of Obas
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has inaugurated the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, declaring that the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, will be heading the council for a period of 2 years.
The declaration follows the passing of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs (Further Amendments) Bill, 2025, by the state House of Assembly, and the signing of the same into law by the governor.
Recall that the lawmakers had amended Clause 5 of Section 28 of the Chieftaincy Law to make the Council chairmanship rotational among the Alaafin of Oyo, the Soun of Ogbomoso, and the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
While inaugurating the Council, Governor Makinde said he had consulted with the trio of the Alaafin, the Olubadan and the Soun, with the three of them reaching a consensus that the chairmanship should start with the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Rashidi Ladoja.
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NPF committed to community policing, says IGP Egbetokun
NPF committed to community policing, says IGP Egbetokun
The Inspector General of Police (I-GP), Dr Kayode Egbetokun, has assured that the police remained committed to community policing to ensure that criminals were drastically reduced in the country.
The I-GP, who was represented by the Assistant Inspector of Police ( AIG) Zone 17, Dr Ajani Musibau, stated this at the Police Community Relations Committee ( PCRC) National Leadership Training and Conference on Thursday in Akure.
The theme of the conference is: “Inclusivity and Diversity: the New Leadership Paradigm.”
He said that security could not be achieved by only the police, but with the support from the community.
The I-GP stated that security was a joint work and responsibility of all, commending the current leadership of the Nigeria Police for a paradigm shift towards modern policing.
Also, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Mr Adebowale Lawal, said that bandits could not infiltrate the state due to community policing strategy embraced by the command.
He explained that bandits would have infiltrated the state through Kogi and Edo, but intelligence reports from members of PCRC had been a great help to the police command.
According to him, the support and logistics received from the Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun and Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa had also motivated police personnel to work earnestly.
He said that effective community policing was a sure way to curb activities of criminals, and implored members of the public not to relent in their efforts to provide police and other security agencies with useful information.
Lawal also commended other conventional security agencies, forest guards and vigilantes for their support to the police in fighting bandits
In his remarks, the National Chairman of PCRC, Alhaji Ibrahim Mogaji said that the conference was to strengthen leaders of PCRC in the South-West zone and encourage them to redouble their efforts and support in fighting crimes.
According to Mogaji, the occasion also enabled the association to appreciate Gov. Aiyedatiwa, I-GP, the AIG Zone 17 and the state Commissioner of Police.
He advised the participants to moblise other members of PCRC and orientate them on their roles to continue to fight crime in the country.
The PCRC national chairman asked Nigerians to respect the dignity of police and to be civil when interacting with them.
Mogaji said that the leadership training would be replicated in other geo-political zones of the country.
Also, Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Security, Mr Gbenga Atiba, commended the PCRC , AIG Zone 17, and the Commissioner of Police for their unrelenting efforts to guarantee peace across the state.
Aiyedatiwa promised that the state government would give PCRC attention and continue to support police and other security agencies with appropriate logistics that would make policing more effective.
A guest lecturer, Comrade Yinka Folarin asked members of the public to give respect and dignity to members of the police, saying that they also had rights that must be respected.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PCRC honoured Gov. Aiyedatiwa, AIG Zone 17 and the Commissioner of Police with awards. (NAN)
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Increase salary, welfare packages for Police other security personnel – FG told
Increase salary, welfare packages for Police other security personnel – FG told
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for improved welfare packages for armed forces personnel and all members of the security and intelligence community to aid their effectiveness and efficiency.
National Chairman of PDP, Tanimu Turaki, made the call in a statement in Abuja on Thursday to mark the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day.
Turaki also urged the Federal Government to adequately fund security agencies to effectively neutralise those he described as agents of insecurity, and restore peace to the country.
He expressed PDP’s condolences to the families of members of the armed forces who died in active service while executing their mandate of protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“On a day like this, we acknowledge that they paid the supreme price for the continuous existence of our country.
“We advise all actors, whether state or non-state, not to engage in actions capable of destabilising the country.
“In honour of those who have died to keep our country safe, we pray that their deaths may not be in vain and their labours not forgotten,” Turaki said.(NAN)
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