EMIR SANUSI LAMIDO SANUSI IN THE EYES OF THE STORM AGAIN!

ZION B-BC   NEWSLETTER.  

(Looking at Nigeria's Political System From a Godly Perspective).

A Publication of the Zion Faith Bible-Believing Church Kpeyegyi Abuja Nigeria {Vol. 8.NO 307. 30th June, 2019.} “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You   Free! (John.8:32).

EMIR SANUSI LAMIDO SANUSI IN THE EYES OF THE STORM AGAIN!

Royal thrones and ancestral stools in Nigeria are no longer the exclusive preserve of grassroot elders of the communities who from time immemorial had been custodians of culture, customs and tradition, bequeathed from one generation to another.
In a deliberate and determined move to spread the gospel of civilization to the nooks and crannies of the nation, the academia, professors, technocrats, professionals, captains of industry, accomplished and articulate educationists etc, had invaded royal palaces of the six geo- political zones to effectively represent the voice of their subjects and ensure fair share of the socio-economic equation in the Nigerian project!

Standing shoulder high above the multitude of those traditional patriots is Muhammadu Sanusi II, (CON), the 14th Emir of Kano, who bluntly told President Buhari that Nigeria would become bankrupt if the outrageous payment of 70% of the total generated revenue on debt servicing persisted because no nation could survive in an economy where expenditure on basic social infrastructure depended on a paltry 30% of its total income!
He made this assertion at the 3rd National Treasury Workshop organised by Office of the Accountant General of the Federation held on 25thJune, 2019 in Kano, North West Nigeria!
Although the Accountant General of the Federation believed that maintenance/servicing of the nation's debt profile which was put at N 24.4 trillion, a sharp rise of 12.5 % increase from the 2017 status, was sustainable, the Emir maintained that the country's balance sheet was already overstretched! He also said that if the President would keep his promise of June 12, 2019, to lead millions of Nigerians out of poverty, all of the common patrimony being appropriated as subsidies on petroleum and electricity should be diverted to education, health and other critical infrastructures!
In his words, the nation could soon witness the worst case of insolvency unless the Federal Government eliminated the huge resources being spent on the subsidy of petroleum and other commodities!
The very outspoken Emir, who was the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria from 2009-2014, vehemently opposed the subsidy regime and opined that "subsidies must be totally removed”, for such monies to be diverted to education, health facilities, employment, and shelter for the masses!

THE EMIR'S STAND ON BOKO HARAM TERRORISM!
Being an Islamic scholar, Sanusi condemned the Boko Haram false indoctrinations and urged his followers to resist such! The terrorist reacted violently to the new Emir's advocacy and bombed the Kano Mosque (the seat of the Emirate), in which 150 faithfuls lost their lives in November 2014! The terrorist commander, Abubakar Shekau accused Sanusi of deviating from Islam and threatened the Emir's life but he was undaunted and told Shekau that he (Sanusi), was "safe with Allah" and likened Shekau's statement to those of heretical Islamic preacher, Maitatsine!

SHOULD TRADITIONAL LEADERS GET INVOLVED IN PARTISAN POLITICS?
There is a general consensus that traditional institutions headed by monarchs, should be completely insulated from partisan politics in view of the highly revered and influential positions over their subjects to whom they owed absolute neutrality in the dispensation of social administration, justice and equity consistently.
Although, there are no hard and fast rules nor specific constitutional clauses to check traditional rulers disposition to politics, State Governments in Nigeria have established, ministries for local government and chieftaincy affairs, to properly administer processes of choosing traditional heads from among the people according to their customs through orderly procedures that would ultimately enjoy the blessings of State Governors, who hands over "Staffs of Office", to successful candidates during official coronations!

State governments play pivotal roles in chieftaincy affairs through payment of regular salaries/allowances, provision of vehicles for smooth administration through the traditional rulers at the grassroots more! And in view of this intervention, most traditional rulers have been nothing else other than partisan to the one who pays the PIPER!

KANO STATE AS A CASE STUDY OF THE PIPER WHO DICTATES THE TUNE?
It is not in contention that the Kano Emirate is funded through taxes and subventions by the Kano state government who pays salaries, allowances, and other emoluments that were legitimate monthly/annual expenses of the monarch and his retinue of palace workers!
During his first tenure, APC Governor Umar Ganduje, tried unsuccessfully to DETHRONE, Emir Sanusi through some trumped up accusations that he wasted public funds through extravagant/opulence lifestyle; and through Federal Government's diplomatic interventions, all charges and inquisitions were dropped!
But, back in the saddle for a second tenure as governor, Ganduje took up the gauntlet again and on Wednesday, 8th May, 2019, he decided to whittle down the Emir's powers when he signed into law the creation of FOUR new Emirates: Gaya, Bichi, Karaye, and Rano. The new Bill stated that the Emir of Kano would henceforth preside over TEN Local Government Areas, instead of the former 44 LGAs!
But the Kano State Kingmakers who were aggrieved by Ganduje's high-handedness had filed a suit against the governor, Kano State House of Assembly, the Attorney General and four others over the creation of new Emirates, in Kano State. They claimed that action was aimed at decentralizing the main Kano Emirate led by Sanusi and condemned his decision to sign the Kano State Emirs Appointment and Deposition Amendment 2019 Bill into law. There had been public outrage against the action which the Kano State High Court ordered Ganduje to suspend. The case was adjourned till 16th July, 2019.

SANUSI 'S ROLE IN GOVERNANCE AND AS A TRADITIONAL LEADER!
His Royal Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II, (CON), the highly revered 14th Emir of Kano, North West, Nigeria, born Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, is blue blood; a noble aristocrat, a man of sterling, impeccable and untainted character, an outstanding personality with exemplary charisma and laudable traits that are traceable to his antecedent and pedigree! The 57-year-old was crowned on 8th June, 2014, following the death of his granduncle, Ado Bayero.
A very intelligent banker and brilliant economist who attended the prestigious Kings College, Lagos, where he graduated in 1977; proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 1978-1983 and obtained both Bachelors and Masters degrees; taught for two years in the school and later studied Islamic Law at the International University of Africa in Khartoum, Sanusi did not allow the silver spoon to becloud his ambition for relevance among the highly educated and in the course of time distinguished him as a worthy ambassador in his chosen discipline!
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, even as a prince, did not count himself better than his peers but worked assiduously to reach the pinnacle of his profession in the banking industry as he was first crowned Governor of the Central Bank, before he received the Kano Royal Crown as birth-right!
As Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), between 3rd June 2009 and 20th February2014, he was not just the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but also doubled as the official "Watchman/Whistle Blower" over the enormous funds that were dispensed on daily basis for smooth execution of the nation's foreign and local policies of the economy, like none before him had ever done! He had a blue print predicated on "enhancement of quality of banks, establishment of healthy/financial stability and the imperative contribution of the financial sector to the REAL SECTOR!" Sanusi has to his credit several local and international awards of distinction, which singled him out not only as a very outstanding scholar but also as a banking guru!

He did not waste time to sanitize the banking industry through radical anti-corruption strategy following Mrs. Cecilia Ibru's mismanagement of the OCEANIC BANK, in which billions of naira of public  funds were fraudulently looted and could not be accounted for! During his tenure, several bank managers, including CEO, Mrs Ibru, were convicted by the law courts and sent to prison terms!

SANUSI ACCUSED JONATHAN'S GOVERNMENT OF $20 BILLION US DOLLAR FRAUD!
For the very first time in the history of Nigeria's financial transactions at the apex level of the Executive Arm, in 2014, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, moved against the norm and the protocol, to blow the whistle over UNREMITTED/MISSING FUNDS from the vaults of the apex bank under his watch and that audacity, caused him his plum job, because ex-President Ebele Jonathan, did not waste time in relieving him of the exalted post without completing his five-year tenure!
HIS OFFENCE: He accused Jonathan's Government of a $ 20 billion US-dollar-fraud in the Oil Sector of the economy under the watch of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), in 2014. Sanusi had earlier disclosed in 2013 that, Nigeria lost one billion dollars on monthly basis due to diversion of funds under the ex-president's watch while American and British stakeholders in the oil industry were quoted to have disclosed that former petroleum minister, Diezani Allison Madueke, might have organized a diversion of $ 6 billion US dollars, an equivalent of N 1.2 trillion, from the NIGERIAN TREASURY! Allison-Madueke was arrested in London on 2nd October and still facing interrogation and prosecutions for sundry financial offences at the British courts, though the present Change APC Administration has put up pressure for her extradition to Nigeria to face several financial crime charges!
As an economist, Sanusi had always favoured removal of subsidies - citing the high level of corruption engendered by the practices, the inefficiency of subsidizing CONSUMPTION  instead of CONSUMPTION, (leading to slower economic growth), and the fact that government borrows money to finance the SUBSIDY - thereby, taxing  future generations so that present Nigerians can consume more fuel!  Like other economists and development practitioners, Sanusi believes that SUBSIDY was biased in favour of the middle/upper classes who consume most of the fuel to personal advantages - including illicit commercialisation of the product in neighbouring West African States!
QUOTE FROM SANUSI: "IF YOU WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO SPEAK MY MIND, DON'T INVITE ME AGAIN!"

RIPPLE EFFECTS OF TOTAL REMOVAL OF PETROLEUM SUBSIDY - WITHOUT CREATING PALLIATIVES?
Poverty ratio would increase; the products will become out of reach (too exorbitant), for the masses to access; unemployment percentage will rise as employers lay off workers; labour sector would demand for more salaries and allowances for government employees and resist of any form of down-sizing or right-sizing by the administration!

Governments would come and go but the royal traditional thrones remain permanent because the traditional stools must not be polluted with any form of political partisanship. Military governments used to curry favours from traditional rulers for the purpose of reaching out to citizens at the grassroot to deepen socio-economic development - but politicians MUST not convert the sacred custodians of culture/tradition to politicians for any reasons!
TRADITIONAL STOOLS MUST BE INSULATED FROM POLITICS FOR THEM TO EARN THE HONOUR AND RESPECT DUE TO THEM AT ALL TIMES!
But being critical of government would not amount to political partisanship especially by monarchs who love their subjects and are determined to keep them abreast with the social amenities of the civilized world. 
We encourage more professional to mount the royal stools to make the difference!  ‘’By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.’’  (Prov 8:15)

Please look forward to more divine revelation in the next edition of Zion B-BC Newsletter as you share this with friends and remain blessed in the Lord. [For weekly access, to this newsletter, log on to:  facebook.com/zionfaithbible.believingchurch or http://www.zfbbc1.blogspot.com, https://www.google.com/+zionfaithbiblebelievingchurch.

If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, don’t miss this great opportunity as you pray this prayer: Lord Jesus; I confess that I am a sinner who needs to be saved through the grace of the New Testament of your Blood, shed on the Cross at Calvary; I renounce every sin in my life and accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive me and write my name in the Book of Life. Amen. If you prayed this prayer, you have been admitted into the family of sons and daughters of God, who are born-again. Congratulations.

I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon, Resident Pastor and Editor. 08130669886, 08098194390.  08080243066. G-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.