The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has expressed deep concern over what he described as the erosion of values across all strata of Nigerian society, warning that the continued glorification of material wealth over integrity poses a grave danger to the nation’s future.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor lamented that the country has developed a culture of rewarding individuals who looted the national treasury with even more public positions, instead of holding them accountable.
“The entire value system of the country has been eroded,” Sanusi declared.
“We have been ruled by people who have no values; they have no name behind them and no desire to leave a name after them. They define themselves by what they own – houses, private jets, billions in bank accounts. And they think that is something.”
Sanusi said the moral decay among public office holders stems from poor upbringing and a warped orientation of leadership as a money-making venture rather than a call to service.
“Many people go into government to make money, but you don’t go into government to make money,” he stressed.
The Emir condemned a society that glorifies stolen wealth and elevates looters into positions of power, warning that such a system perpetuates corruption and bad governance.
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“A society in which material wealth, no matter how you get it, is respected and glorified—where people who are known to have stolen money get rewarded with ministerial appointments—will continue to reproduce itself,” he said.
Reflecting on the legacy of former Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, 50 years after his assassination, Sanusi called for a total regeneration of values, anchored on honesty, diligence, and compassion, rather than materialism.
He also faulted the political class for destroying the civil service, emphasizing the need to strengthen the system to empower civil servants to resist political pressure and uphold rules.
“We don’t have a sense of disgust for people who hold public office and amass wealth; instead, we reward them with more opportunities to steal. This is what Nigeria has become,” Sanusi lamented.
The Emir urged both leaders and citizens to take collective responsibility for restoring moral integrity in governance, warning that without such change, the cycle of corruption will persist.