The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has raised alarm over the deterioration of moral values in Nigeria, lamenting that society has normalized the celebration of individuals who enrich themselves at the nation’s expense.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor criticised Nigeria’s value system, describing it as one that glorifies material wealth regardless of how it is acquired.
“The entire value system of the country has been eroded,” Sanusi said. “A society in which material wealth, no matter how you get it, is respected, is glorified, where people who are known to have stolen money get rewarded with ministerial appointments, that society will continue to reproduce itself.”
Sanusi condemned the lack of accountability for corrupt public officials, noting that those who abuse power are often promoted or offered more opportunities to exploit public resources.
“We don’t have a sense of disgust for people who hold public office and amass wealth; we reward them with appointments, with more public offices, and more opportunities to amass wealth, and this is what Nigeria has become,” he stated.
He attributed the crisis in values to poor upbringing and a culture where many individuals enter government for personal enrichment rather than public service.
“Many people go into government to make money, but you don’t go into government to make money,” Sanusi said.
He expressed dismay over the lack of legacy-minded leadership in the country, accusing many current and past leaders of being driven solely by material gain.
“We have been ruled by people who have no values; they have no name behind them, and they have no desire to leave a name after them. These are people who define themselves by what they own; how many houses they have, how many private jets they have, how many billions they have in bank accounts,” he said.
Sanusi said these individuals are unconcerned with how the public perceives them.
“It is not important to them that people look at them and they only see thieves, they see criminals, they see people who have taken the commonwealth. It is simply not important because for them, values do not matter,” he added.
Referencing the legacy of the late former Head of State, Murtala Muhammed, Sanusi noted that nearly 50 years after his death, Nigeria still struggles with the same foundational issues.
He emphasized the need for a broad-based national effort to revive the country’s moral foundation.
“I think we need an entire regeneration of values. It is not about one person. The president or the governors or the ministers cannot on their own change this country,” Sanusi said.
He also accused politicians of weakening the civil service, calling for a return to strengthening public institutions that can empower civil servants to resist unlawful instructions and foster accountability.
