5 key quotes from the Emir of Kano's interview with Financial Times

The Financial Times published its article with the Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi on Friday, March 16, 2018.

Written by David Pilling, the modernist Emir who still pays homage to certain traditions, spoke on the polygamy, Boko Haram, Fulani Herdsmen, and the missing billions that got him into trouble with the Jonathan Goodluck administration

Here are 5 key things, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi said in the feature article;

1. On being chosen by God to be king

I spent my life as a successful banker. I taught economics at the university. I worked at an investment bank. I was chief risk officer in the two largest banks in the country. I was the CEO of the oldest and largest commercial bank in Nigeria, First Bank. I was the best central bank governor four years out of five. Why would I feel guilty about inheriting privilege? I have earned my stars in every competitive environment.” With a CV like that, God could hardly have said no.

2. His daughter wants to be the next Emir of Kano

My daughter wants to be the next Emir of Kano, and she’s disappointed I’ve not yet appointed a woman to the Kano Emirate Council.

3. His view on Polygamy

If it’s a religious law, it’s a religious law. I get a lot of comments from the west on polygamy. But let me give you a different perspective. In Britain today, you can have relationships with any number of women. You can have six partners. If they agree and you’re not forcing them, you are not committing any offence. But if you decided to marry them, you’d go to jail. I don’t understand that. If a society does not criminalise adultery, it has no business criminalising polygamy.

4. Abuse of polygamy

It’s a total misconception of Islamic law for people to think that you have the right to marry more than one wife and not be able to maintain them. It’s not a blank cheque. You can’t just produce children and leave them on the streets begging and out of school.

5. Drug Problem in Northern Nigeria

We have a youth bulge and youth unemployment. We have a drug problem. And it’s all come from, I think, a collapse of family values.

In February 2018, the Emir of Kano called for the salaries of ministers and legislators to be slashed by hal.

According to him, “If the salary of each member of the National Assembly was divided into two, it would go a long way to provide more jobs for 70,400 jobless Nigerians at between N90, 000 and N92,500 monthly salary.”

The Emir also called on public office holders to make sacrifices so that Nigeria can come out of the current economic challenges.

He wondered why military personnel who defend the country will earn N49,000, and legislators go home with millions of Naira.