By Safiya Yaman Muhammad
Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, may have been removed from office by President Goodluck Jonathan, I still see the steps he took while heading the apex bank as the only genuine approach bringing back our crumbling financial/banking system on track. We know that Nigeria needs leadership with committed minds and zeal to move forward. Sanusi since his appointment as the CBN leader by later Umaru Musa Yar’adua has set a concrete pace for others to emulate.
He has showed that public service is not a privilege to siphon public resources. Even when he was suspended by President Goodluck Jonathan on 20th February 2014, following his comments on the missing N20b NNPC fund, I was not personally shocked because many people including myself had expected such action long before it was taken. His suspension by the president was evident that the present leaders are ready to tackle corruption. Corruption which Sanusi has commented on several occasions has remained the bane of Nigeria’s socio-economic development. Unfortunately, some citizens usually turn situations like this to religion and ethnic differences.
Nigerians have not yet understood the dynamics of our complexity across ethnic, region and religion groups. To me, Sanusi did not bring to his CBN job inject prejudices of religion, ethnicity and regionalism as it was popularized in some quarters.
He had held several positions since 1985 at Icon Limited (merchant bankers) up to United Bank for Africa where he worked in the Credit and Risk Management Division as the General Manager. After that, in 2005, Sanusi joined the Board of First Bank of Nigeria where he in 2009 was appointed Group Managing Director. His appointment as CBN Governor has saved some banks from collapsing.
He did all he could to stop reckless spending by the government but the reward he would get from the federal government was suspension and condemnation by the government and some greedy and selfish individuals. Sanusi has left behind a legacy for Nigerians and the youths in particular. The youths should learn a lesson from the life of SanusiLamidoSanusi and be good ambassadors of the country; he is a man of honor and was determined to go ahead. Youths should learn a lesson from his steps and make meaningful contributions to the development of Nigeria.
SafiyaYaman Muhammad is a 300 level undergraduate of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger state.
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