Muhammadu Sanusi II, former Emir of Kano, has advised youths
to stop running abroad in a bid to escape challenges facing the country.
He said this in Lagos on Sunday at a stage play titled ‘A
Truth in Time’.
The play, which depicted the life and times of Sanusi, was
written by Ahmed Yerima, a professor of drama at Redeemer’s University, and
produced by the Duke of Shomolu Productions.
The former Emir encouraged young people to start building
the country with their talents and hold public officers accountable.
“To the young people, do not fear. This is your country.
This is your future. Take hold of it. Work for it. Build it. Don’t let anyone
tell you to run away because you have a degree. They say ‘Go to England, go to
America,’ Sanusi said.
“This is your country. You are coming back here. Let’s work
to build one for you and you also help us build this country for you.”
According to Sanusi, he only speaks out publicly against
government policies after conferring with the concerned officials in private.
“People have said to me ‘Your problem is that you criticise
the government publicly’. Many of them don’t know that before I go forward with
public criticism, I would have spent months, maybe years, speaking to these
government officials in private,” he said.
“We are in difficult times. This country will not move
forward until Nigerians take ownership of their country. Politicians get into
office and think they own us.
“They think they have earned the right to tell you when to
speak and when not to speak. They think they have earned the right to control
your view and they cannot be criticised. The truth is that they don’t have that
right.”
Recounting his achievements, Sanusi said he would be
ungrateful to God if he had expressed dejection over his removal as Emir.
“I don’t think that
God has taken anything away from me. So, I have no regret. I turned 61 years
old last year, and in those years, I had the honour of being the chief risk
officer at United Bank for Africa and the chief risk officer at First Bank,” he
said.
“I was governor of the central bank, Emir of Kano and now
Khalifah, Tijaniyat Movement of Nigeria. If I have sadness, then I’m
ungrateful. How many people have had the opportunity to be just one of those
things?”
Sanusi also applauded the cast and crew of the play,
describing it as “well-detailed and captivating”.
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