Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business - Politics

Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business - Politics - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum › Nairaland General › Politics › Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business (6218 Views)

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Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by treesun(op): 1:40pm On Dec 11, 2025

Muhammadu Sanusi, Emir of Kano, says Nigeria’s political elite deliberately sabotage the country’s progress by treating public office as “family business”.

Speaking on Wednesday at the 15th anniversary of Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria in Lagos, Sanusi said the political class sidestepped opportunities for national development because “public office is about themselves, their families, and people close to them, not about the country or the citizens”.

“We have done enough damage and maybe we need to stop. And I think this is the point Omobola is making about missed opportunities. Not just missed opportunities, I think sometimes deliberately missed opportunities,” he said.

“The reason we miss these opportunities is because we have people who think public office is about themselves, it’s about their families, it’s about people close to them, it’s not about the country. But public office is about the citizens.”

He urged young Nigerians to reject the dysfunctional country that has been “manufactured” for them and build one that fulfils its true potential.

The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said the current system is one built on “ethnic rivalries, religious conflicts, and competition for personal aggrandizement”, adding that Nigerian youths must unite across all strata and articulate a clear, achievable vision for a different nation.

“The important thing for me is that as citizens, each and every one of us will remember that the nation belongs to us. It does not belong to the government, it does not belong to politicians, it belongs to us,” he said.

“We own this country and wherever we find ourselves, we must remember that we are holding one small part of Nigeria and we have a duty to do what we must, to contribute our own quota to this country.

“What we need to do is try to come together and articulate a clear and achievable ideological position, a vision for what kind of Nigeria we want to have.

“And it has to be a Nigeria different from the Nigeria that has been manufactured for us, a Nigeria of ethnic rivalries, religious conflicts, race seeking, competition for aggrandizement.

“It has to be a country that realises its potential in the committee of nations.”

https://www.thecable.ng/sanusi-nigerian-leaders-see-public-office-as-family-business/

9 Likes

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by AqualinaXYZ: 1:44pm On Dec 11, 2025

Thats Tinubu

Wife son daughters all have grabbed Lagos and intend to grab Nigeria

Daughter dey fight for iyaloja of all markets

Son dey drag billboards and signage

Wife dey disgrace herself up and down bcuz school children and Adeleke no gree call her “Na our mama be this ooo”

46 Likes 6 Shares

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by sleek214(m): 1:47pm On Dec 11, 2025

Coming from someone that turned CBN to a brothel , all his many girlfriends with little or no educational qualifications got jobs, his girlfriends' siblings/friends all got job at CBN....

52 Likes 4 Shares

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by Mrfixitt(m): 1:50pm On Dec 11, 2025

Tinubu is a typical. Man and his family have milked Lagos since 1999

3 Likes

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by AqualinaXYZ: 1:56pm On Dec 11, 2025

sleek214:
Coming from someone that turned CBN to a brothel , all his many girlfriends with little or no educational qualifications got jobs, his girlfriends' siblings/friends all got job at CBN....

Brothel

Bcuz he no speak in favor of Tinubu

U for don call patriotic man

18 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by odejimioflagos: 3:30pm On Dec 11, 2025

Sanusi is correct.

Most of our leaders are self-serving and have no plan for the nation.

I just hope the youth will come together to make a change.

45 Likes 1 Share

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by treesun(op): 7:48am On Dec 12, 2025

The first family, culprits Nlfpmod!

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by Brendaniel: 10:08am On Dec 12, 2025

That's why Tinubu has office for the president, office for the first lady, office for the first daughter and office for the first son living large on Nigeria's tax and borrowings...

7 Likes

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by fasho01(m): 10:08am On Dec 12, 2025

Aren't you part of the crop of leaders we have huh

12 Likes 1 Share

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by boxypane: 10:08am On Dec 12, 2025

Truly a country of particular concern. I believe we can do great things when the right persons are in place.

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by Daeveed(m): 10:10am On Dec 12, 2025

Cho cho cho..

What did you see it as while you held a very sensitive position.. hypocrite government.. hypocrite everywhere

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by Authoreety: 10:10am On Dec 12, 2025

Na now una know??

It has always bn so since buhari

1 Like

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by Ayofunmi19: 10:12am On Dec 12, 2025

What did you expect after the masses has collected their family money and expected them to go bankrupt

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by infogenius(m): 10:12am On Dec 12, 2025

treesun:
https://www.thecable.ng/sanusi-nigerian-leaders-see-public-office-as-family-business/

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi just spoke the plain, unfiltered truth that many politicians pray Nigerians never fully grasp.

Public office in Nigeria is no longer seen as national service; it is treated as family inheritance and personal ATM. That is why:

• Refineries remain comatose 30 years after we knew how to fix them.
• Power generation is still below 5,000 MW in a country of 220 million people.
• Every new government cancels the previous one’s projects instead of building on them.
• A governor will rather award contracts to his cousin’s shell company than fix a federal road that kills his own people daily.

Sanusi is right: many of these failures are not accidents; they are deliberate. 

Because a developed, united Nigeria will no longer tolerate the kind of primitive looting we see today.

His message to the youth is the real takeaway:

This country belongs to us, not to the current crop of leaders. 

They are only tenants; we are the landlords.

If we keep waiting for the political class to fix Nigeria out of the goodness of their hearts, we will wait forever. 

The only way forward is for ordinary citizens (especially the young and educated) to organise, articulate a clear vision, and take power legally and democratically.

2027 is only 24 months away.

 Start registering voters in ur estate, on ur campus, in ur church/mosque, in ur market. 

Start demanding accountability from ur local government chairman today.

Nigeria will change the day millions of us decide that “enough is actually enough.”

Thank u, Emir Sanusi, for reminding us who truly owns this country. 

The revolution will not be imported; it will be home-grown, one voter at a time. 🇳🇬💪

5 Likes

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by ChiefOloye(m): 10:13am On Dec 12, 2025

Especially those from the North.

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by mikeapollo: 10:13am On Dec 12, 2025

sleek214:
Coming from someone that turned CBN to a brothel , all his many girlfriends with little or no educational qualifications got jobs, his girlfriends' siblings/friends all got job at CBN....

You are a big liar! Stop telling cheap, silly, lies!
Can you mention the names of his girlfriends who got jobs at CBN with little or no educational qualifications?.
How lazy-thinking could you be, to even believe that a man of Sanusi's career and education standing and position would have many girlfriends with little or no educational qualifications! And then he would give them jobs at CBN! C'mon, you should do better than this cheap lies!

4 Likes

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by Bahamas95(m): 10:14am On Dec 12, 2025

While your people believe they own Nigeria.

1 Like

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by Nahunger(m): 10:14am On Dec 12, 2025

You were once there!!

It's all you guys do, paddy, family, tribe or religion while in power and moan when you guys are not close to it's corridors for too long..

3 Likes

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by Tammy2705: 10:14am On Dec 12, 2025

THANK YOU YOUR EMINENCE WELL SAID.

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by BondRiv: 10:16am On Dec 12, 2025

Most Nigerians are fine with it. Look at the recent controversy between the governor of Osun State and the First Lady. They worship public office holders. You can't expect anything less, when a governor who is a public servant is seen as a demi-god to these lot. You dare not correct them. Understand that and you have deciphered Nigeria's problem.

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by Nahunger(m): 10:17am On Dec 12, 2025

odejimioflagos:
Sanusi is correct.

Most of our leaders are self-serving and have no plan for the nation.

I just hope the youth will come together to make a change.

Is he any different, he's just far from the yam that's why he's complaining

3 Likes

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by dammsey(m): 10:21am On Dec 12, 2025

treesun:
https://www.thecable.ng/sanusi-nigerian-leaders-see-public-office-as-family-business/

Baba you sha wan leave that throne😂😂

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by Lukuluku69(m): 10:23am On Dec 12, 2025

Very true.

But you are also guilty of same.

How was Stewardship at the CBN?

What happened to The Emirates funds at your disposal during your first reign?

It is true that Public Officers normally turn Public Office to enrich families, friends and cronies.

Sir, you are not any different and most times you come to air such views, it is either you are looking for something from them or you are just denied something.

All of una na same same.

2 Likes

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by ppogba: 10:24am On Dec 12, 2025

Saint Sanusi, if you are reading this, we have not forgotten your own atrocities at CBN.

Shush it, Emir.

2 Likes

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by tiger28: 10:25am On Dec 12, 2025

AqualinaXYZ:
Thats Tinubu

Wife son daughters all have grabbed Lagos and intend to grab Nigeria

Daughter dey fight for iyaloja of all markets

Son dey drag billboards and signage

Wife dey disgrace herself up and down bcuz school children and Adeleke no gree call her “Na our mama be this ooo”

Mr Pandora and his family

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by bigcasava1(m): 10:25am On Dec 12, 2025

What he said is true shaa! But buhari turned Nigeria to Islamic affairs I expect him to say that too

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by ppogba: 10:26am On Dec 12, 2025

dammsey:
Baba you sha wan leave that throne😂😂

Instead of him to be concerned about the throne being shared with him.

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by Webmasterchidi(m): 10:32am On Dec 12, 2025

Sanusi is really hitting the nail on the head here. 😔 Public office should be about serving citizens, not boosting family fortunes. The sad part is, so many people accept this as normal. Imagine if young Nigerians really took his advice seriously and started building the kind of Nigeria we actually want—things could change fast. Who else feels like it’s time for a serious shift in mindset?

Re: Sanusi: Nigerian Leaders See Public Office As Family Business by SixSeven: 10:33am On Dec 12, 2025

They are not there to serve, they are there to be served. Which one of them is calling themselves servant leaders anymore? Now it's leader of servants that are there and they are not shy anymore. When did this degenerate to this I don't care level? When APC took over in 2015. Things were bad with PDP but APC took governance and ethics to baddest level that even Davido can't imagine how bad it is to use in his lyrics.

There will come a time when you will push the people to the wall that they will push back against you. The one there now as number 1 wants to replace Awo's legacy but the cheapest Awo Legacy his predecessor at Lagos (LKJ) did without making noise was to invest in education and housing and the late LKJ never called himself the builder of Lagos. What they are doing now is to turn SW to the ranka dede system in the North where the feudal lords make sure the masses depend on them while they educate their own kids and take turns to rule us. They know the power of education and liberation that's why they want to make sure we are poor. A poor man is not only poor in his stomach, he can't think and he has been beaten mentally. APC is a disaster. Their only concern is to take power. Both Buhari and Tinubu were only interested in getting there, nothing more. For the Governors, theirs is worse. But one day Nigerians will wake up from their slumber because like Awo said, one day the children of the poor will have nothing to eat but the rich. Fayose preached his stomach infrastructure without shame, they abused him as *democrats*but guess who's practising stomach infrastructure shamelessly today in Nigeria?

I hope they learn from Romania but I know they never learn.

When Romania Executed Its Dictator Live on TV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eUjOV0ZlSQ