The Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has asserted that many elites in Nigeria lack a true understanding of poverty, urging economic managers to cultivate empathy for those they lead.
He shared that he only truly comprehended poverty after ascending the throne.
Sanusi made these remarks in a goodwill message at a public lecture titled “Weaponisation of poverty as a means of underdevelopment: A case study of Nigeria,” which commemorated the 60th birthday of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, in Abuja on Saturday.
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The former CBN Governor stated, “Many of the elite in Nigeria do not know what poverty is. As an economist, former CBN Governor, I see the numbers. I did not know poverty until I became Emir. And you go to the village and see the water they drink, the houses they live in, the two-block classrooms without roofs.”
He questioned the priorities of leaders, asking, “Do we love the people, or do we just love ruling over them? What are our priorities? We make overheads and underpasses for ourselves in the cities, while in the rural areas cannot reach hospitals. We are in crisis; how do we get out should be our focus.”
Also speaking at the event, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, expressed concern that Nigerians consistently repeat the mistake of electing the “worst in society” into leadership positions.
He lamented, “We keep electing people who only know how to grab power but don’t know what to do with it.”
In his intervention, Professor Usman Yusuf, a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, explained that most cases handled in hospitals are not medical.
He blamed corruption and bad governance for Nigeria’s multidimensional poverty, stressing that citizens must live up to their responsibilities and vote for what is right.
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