Emir of Kano and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Muhammadu Sanusi II, has warned ministers and presidential aides against turning themselves into praise singers, instead of offering the President, Bola Tinubu, honest advice that could salvage the country’s ailing economy.

Sanusi spoke yesterday in Abuja at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference and Book Launch, where he joined other notable Nigerians to examine Nigeria’s economic policies and governance challenges.

Speaking on the need for integrity and courage in public service, the monarch lamented that sycophancy had worsened Nigeria’s leadership crisis, as those who speak the truth are often branded enemies of the state.

He decried the growing culture of excessive praise for political leaders during official functions, warning that it stifles honest feedback and undermines good governance

His words: “Our leaders listen, but only to those who tell them what they want to hear. Nigeria has too many sycophants in government. Those who speak the truth are seen as enemies of the state.

“You sit in a meeting, and the President is there. The first thing people say is, ‘Mr President, I want to thank you for your great leadership. God has blessed Nigeria by making you our leader. By the time they finish laying that foundation, it is their advice that the President accepts.”

At the event, Sanusi and former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, disagreed on the roles of opposition and governors during the 2012 subsidy removal controversy.

Sanusi had earlier commended President Tinubu for removing fuel subsidy, while also noting that the President should take responsibility for sabotaging similar efforts during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2012.

The former CBN governor, who served between 2009 and 2014, stated that Nigeria’s current economic woes were a consequence of years of policy inconsistency and populist politics, recalling that the same politicians who opposed subsidy removal in 2012 were now implementing it.

Sanusi said he has maintained a consistent position on subsidy removal for over three decades, stressing that the policy was overdue. But Fayemi said contrary to popular belief, most governors were in favour of subsidy removal during Jonathan’s administration, stating the ex-President failed to stand by his own policy decision.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has stated that the Federal Government plans to expand its direct cash transfer programme to include more poor and vulnerable Nigerians.