Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state has given reasons why he dethroned former CBN governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Lamido Sanusi, as the Emir of Kano.
Recall that Emir Sanusi’s removal was confirmed on March 9, 2020, by Kano State Secretary to the Government Usman Alhaji, who alleged that he disrespected the lawful instructions from the office of the Governor and lawful authorities. The Kano monarch was also accused of persistently refusing to attend official meetings and programmes organized by the government without any lawful justification.
While speaking at the presentation of a book on former President Goodluck Johnathan, authored by a journalist, Bonaventure Philips Melah, today December 15, Governor Ganduje said Sanusi wasn’t the best man for the throne at the time he was appointed in June 2014. According to him, Sanusi was appointed to spite former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Recall that in April 2014, former President Jonathan terminated the appointment of Sanusi as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) after he, Sanusi, alleged that $49 billion was stolen by some persons under the Jonathan administration. Ganduje at the book presentation said Sanusi should have taken a more civil approach in handling the matter by meeting the former President in private to discuss it and not making such an accusation in public.
“Jonathan took a bold step in sacking Sanusi as CBN Governor, which created bad blood in certain circles. When Sanusi said $49 billion was lost in Jonathan’s government, I said in my mind that No, you could have discussed with him (Jonathan) privately.
You could have given him this clue and then he would know how to investigate even before those who had stolen the money would find a way of hiding the money.
That statement, I said in my mind was not honourable. That statement created bad blood”.
Barely two months after his sack, Sanusi was appointed the Emir of Kano which according to Ganduje, he wasn’t deserving of as he wasn’t the best man for the throne.
He says he has no regret dethroning Sanusi.
“Sanusi was appointed Emir of Kano not because he was the best man for the throne but to retaliate what Jonathan did to him.
That was in order to prove that what Jonathan did to him was wrong and that the people of Kano wanted their son as Emir and therefore they decided to appoint him as Emir.
But when he was appointed, there were a lot of demonstration with people burning tyres here and there. But because of government backing, he was sustained on the stool.
When I became governor, (that’s why you will laugh), I said yes, the Jonathan medicine is an important medicine.
That medicine, even though I am not a medical doctor, but that medicine would serve the same purpose, for the same disease and for the same patient.
So I took my Jonathan medicine and decided to save the system, to save the institution and I applied it effectively. So Jonathan and I are on the same page. Actually, I have no regrets.”he said