The former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said that Nigerian leaders often sideline honest advisers in favour of those who tell them what they want to hear.
Speaking at a leadership conference in Abuja, the former central bank governor said truth-tellers in government were frequently branded “enemies of the state.”
He was contributing to a discussion on economic reform alongside businessman Atedo Peterside, with both arguing that government reforms would fail without a drastic cut to the cost of governance.
The event, which also featured Finance Minister Wale Edun and other prominent figures, highlighted the ongoing debate over Nigeria’s economic direction.
‘Leaders listen to those who tell them what they want to hear’
Mr Sanusi, known for his outspoken views, provided a critical analysis of the country’s economic management. He argued that a failure to understand and act on sound economic advice was at the root of many of Nigeria’s problems.
He recalled the events of 2012 when the government attempted to remove fuel subsidy but was met with widespread protests.
“If Nigeria had allowed the Jonathan government remove subsidy in 2012, the pain would have been a very tiny fraction of what we’re facing today,” he said.
He revealed that at the time, the Central Bank of Nigeria had projected a limited inflationary impact and was prepared to act.
“I stood up and put my credit card on the line and said, remove the subsidy today, inflation moves up from 11% to 13%, I will bring it down in a year. We would not have had 30-something per cent inflation,” Sanusi recalled.
While acknowledging that the current government had stopped a “runaway devaluation,” he insisted the core problem of unchecked public spending remained.
“We’ve got to be honest, why do we need 48 ministers? Why do we need dozens of vehicles when we’re moving around in convoys or travelling all over the country?” he queried.
When asked why leaders often ignore expert counsel, he was blunt.
“What my experience has shown is that leaders listen to so many people, and they decide that they’re going to accept those that tell them what they want to hear. We have too many sycophants in government.”
He expanded on this, lamenting that “people like Dr. Peterside and myself are always enemies of state because people don’t like hearing bad news. Those who tell leaders the truth are seen as enemies, while those who praise them are rewarded.”
Peterside: ‘What is the point of giving the thief more revenue?’
Echoing Mr Sanusi’s sentiments, businessman and economist Atedo Peterside commended the government for its boldness in removing the fuel subsidy, a move he said some had advocated for over 30 years.
However, he argued that the real test was in how the saved revenue is used.
“Those measures improve fiscal balance. They give all three tiers of government so much more revenue. And that’s where the problem starts. What is the point of giving the thief more revenue if he’s only going to steal it?” he said.
“The real test is what is being done with that revenue in their hands. Is that revenue supposed to be used to fuel 400 cars to escort the president to the airport?”
Mr Peterside stressed that economic pain for citizens would only lead to gain if the right follow-up actions were taken.
“It’s not true that gain follows pain. Gain follows pain only if you are doing the right things after putting the pain in place,” he stated.
Government defends its record
In his response, the Finance Minister, Wale Edun, defended the administration’s record. He stated that President Bola Tinubu had brought about positive change and that his reforms were “already yielding results.”
He pointed to economic growth, a more stable exchange rate, and lowering inflation, but emphasised that the government’s focus was also on the “human side” of the reforms.
Mr Edun detailed a “transparent, accountable and robust system” for providing direct financial assistance to 15 million vulnerable households.
“Of course, we would like to roll out an even bigger programme of direct payments, but that’s a key part of alleviating and ensuring that the reforms also produce gains right down to the lowest levels,” he stated.
The conference also featured contributions from the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, who spoke on the need for courageous leadership and investing in human capital for Africa’s development.
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