Mohammadu Sanusi Lamido, the former II Emir of Kano, has expressed great concerns about the current state of the country.
He claimed that Nigeria is now in a difficult situation compared to what existed in 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari took over from former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Sanusi spoke on Thursday in Lagos at the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation (AAF), leadership colloquium and awards.
“This is the only oil-producing country that is grieving at the moment when oil prices have gone up as a result of the Russia/Ukraine war. Our total revenue is not able to service our debt. And if anybody does not understand that we are in a complete mess, we are.
“We were in a deep hole in 2015. And between 2015 and now, we have been digging ourselves into a deeper hole.
“In 2015, we thought we had a major problem, what happened in 2015 is nothing compared to what will happen in 2023. We have terrorism, banditry, inflation, and an unstable exchange rate, and the worst part is that those in power believe that when they leave office, we will thank them and appreciate them. There has been no change”.
“There is no sense of urgency. If you are running a company and your sales revenue cannot pay interest, you know you’re bankrupt.
“When the total revenue of the Federal Government cannot service the debt we are smiling. These are the kinds of questions we need to ask. And the reality is that there are so many Nigerians, who, given the opportunity will do well but they simply cannot contest in that space,” he said.
The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, hinged the challenge on the lack of vision of some of the country’s leaders.
He added, “What is our vision for Nigeria? Do we have a vision of one country? Do we have a vision of one united country, that lives peacefully with itself — diverse, multicultural, multi-religious but one?
“Leaders after leaders, most of those who have ruled did not have a vision for a united Nigeria. How would you like to be remembered after eight years as a President, after eight years as a governor, eight years as a minister, and eight years as Governor of CBN? How will you like history to remember you? They have not thought about it.
“The vast majority of those in office have a vision that is limited to the next election. It is to win. And when you’ve won, you’ve reached a destination, not a journey.”
