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Tag: Sanusi

  • Appoint deputy governor as CBN governor, says Sanusi

    Appoint deputy governor as CBN governor, says Sanusi

    Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Chief Joseph Sanusi has urged the Federal Government to appoint one of the deputy governors of the bank as governor at the expiration of the tenure of the substantive governor.

    He spoke during the Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC’s) second celebration of leadership excellence dinner  at  Orietal Hotel, Lagos. The institution celebrated two former CBN deputy governors, Mr Victor Odozie and Prof Kingsley Moghalu.

    Sanusi said only an experienced deputy governor who knows much about the tradition of the apex bank could carry its tradition to the next level.

    He urged the government to give the deputy governors of the bank priority in choosing any candidate to succeed governors of the bank.

    He said: “One thing about the CBN is the quality of people the bank always has as workers; they are not just any how persons but quality people who are used to the task. We are unhappy that the CBN  has not deemed it fit to allow experienced and qualified deputy governors to be appointed governor.

    “A situation where we make commercial bankers to head the deputy governors, is a thing to be looked into.

    “I believe the best thing is to bring people from outside at the level of deputy governor so that by the time they become governor, they would have imbibed the tradition of the Central Bank and I hope the government will appreciate the need for experienced hands for the post of the CBN governor.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Sanusi advocates Sharia punishment for rustlers

    •Police parade 74 suspects

    The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi 11, has said Islamic laws should be used to prosecute cattle rustlers.

    He added that the punishments meted out to them should include amputation of hands and legs, killing, piercing of body with sticks, life imprisonment and banishment to exile.

    The monarch spoke yesterday when the police command paraded 74 suspected cattle rustlers with 818 cows and 87 sheep.

    The animals were recovered in the last 30 days.

    The bush combing at the Falgore game reserve by a special squad was constituted by Police Commissioner Muhammad Musa Katsina.

    Parading the suspects and the animals before Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Emir Sanusi 11, at Kanar Dawaki in Dawaki Kudu Local Government, Katsina said three of the notorious rustlers were killed in a gun duel and a police officer was injured, hospitalised, but had been discharged.

    He said the police recovered arms, adding that some of the suspects were nabbed in police and army camouflage, which they used to rob Fulani herdsmen.

    The police boss said: “Notable among the suspects was Umaru Dogo Ndaiye, a Senegalese, who was shot during a gun battle with our men, who were on a special duty at the Falgore forest, near Gazobi village. He died while receiving treatment in hospital.

    “A pistol and 224 cattle were recovered from him. Four members of his gang were arrested. Other rustlers, who died during the gun duel, were Datti Umar Rodi and Mammadu Dogo.”

    According to him, the police recovered 21 arms, 42 AK 47 ammunition, 15 9.mm ammunition, 28 live cartridges and 12 locally- made AK 47 ammunition.

    He said 82 suspected drug dealers and cult members were apprehended, while 21 parcels of 464 wraps of Indian hemp were recovered. Katsina added that 416 cartons of Tramadol, 119 sachets of Diazepam, 101 cartons of Parklin and Codeine syrup, five gallons of suck-and-die, including two tricycles used in conveying drugs by couriers were also displayed.

    Governor Ganduje described the activities of rustlers as worrisome, saying: “This is happening when we are yet to solve insurgency.”

    Ganduje, who was pained that of the 818 rustlers, who were arrested, some of them were Fulani, urged security agencies to ensure that they were prosecuted, assuring them of government’s support.

    He said a committee had been constituted to ensure that the recovered livestock were returned to their owners, adding that those involved in rustling should realise that their days were numbered.

  • Jubilation in Kano as Sanusi rides camel

    Residents of Kano went wild with jubilation last Saturday as their Emir, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, rode on a she-camel as against the usual horse, during a durbar, organised to mark the Eid-El-Kabir in arrears.

    The event, which took place in the evening, became a talk-of-the town as youths and women in purdah rushed out to watch the royal father atop a camel.

    Some of the women and youths, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), described the royal father’s mounting of a camel “as a pleasant surprise to his people.”

    They hailed the emir’s sense of “innovation”, saying he had been adding “colour” to the throne since he became the emir.

    One of the women interviewed, Amina Kofar- kudu, said the emir had been creative in the administration of the palace.

    She added that since his installation, a lot of changes had occurred, ranging from people’s welfare, to the display of the palace culture.

    Malam Lawan Abdullahi, a resident of the palace, said history showed that the emir’s grandfather once rode on a camel to a durbar in Kaduna.

    He praised the emir for adding value to the culture of the people through innovation.

    A university student, Malam Farid Ahmad, said he was full of excitement to have witnessed the durbar.

    “I have never seen live, an emir riding on a camel, so to me it is a new experience, “ he said.

  • Oliseh/Enyeama Face-off: Sanusi, Fashanu call for caution

    Oliseh/Enyeama Face-off: Sanusi, Fashanu call for caution

     

    NFF General Secretary Sanusi Mohammed has called on Nigerians to be patient with the football body as they try to find a way out of the impasse involving Super Eagles Head Coach Sunday Oliseh and former Captain Vincent Enyeama. Also former International John Fashanu has advised both parties to embrace the part of peace.

    Speaking to SportingLife at different occasions in Abuja, the scribe of the Federation said: “We all heard what had happened between the two important figures in our senior national team, we are appealing to Nigerians not to jump to any conclusion on the incident as the football house is very much on top of the situation, and would surely find a way out of the situation. Our appeal to all Nigerians is that they should not jump to conclusions, and start apportioning blames. This would not be good for us as a country, and our football. The Federation would surely find a way out of it, in such a way that none of the parties would be offended. What we need in our football now is absolute peace. We don’t want anything that would cause any kind of distraction as we move towards playing our last matches to qualifying for the Africa Nations Cup holding in Angola. We want to remain focused and resolute. This can only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility,” he said.

    Toiling the stand, former International and Wimbledon of England striker John Fashanu advised both Sunday Oliseh and Vincent Enyeama to tow the path of peace for the interest of the country. Quoting his words, the former England international popularly called “Fash the Bash” said: “We don’t need all these now. Sunday Oliseh should know that the task of qualifying the country for the next edition of Africa Nations Cup rests on his shoulder. He does not need any type of distraction at this point. He needs absolute peace and tranquility in the discharge of his duties. If he is rebuilding the team, it should be a gradual process, because he needs the experience of the older players to move the young ones along. He should have been very diplomatic in handling the incident, so that it would not have degenerated to the situation it is now. I still maintain that he needs to be peaceful with everyone, to achieve whatever he is out to do. Nigerians would not accept anything that would make them not go for the second AFCON consecutively” he said.

    Continuing, he said: “Vincent Enyeama also should know that after serving the country for over a decade, if he is retiring from international duties, he should quit honourably without any rancour. He is now a legend, well respected across the world, he should always apply caution in all his actions, So many young players are looking up to him as a model, so he should not disappoint them in his actions,” he said.

  • Okunnu, cleric disagree with Sanusi on hajj rite

    Okunnu, cleric disagree with Sanusi on hajj rite

    Two renowned Islamic leaders, Alhaji Lateef Okunnu and Sheikh Dhikrullahi Shafi’i have disagreed with Emir of Kano and Nigeria‘s Amirul Hajj Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II on skipping the devil stoning aspect of pilgrimage.

    Sanusi had advocated skipping the exercise because of overcrowding, which led to the stampede in which some pilgrims died on September 24.

    No fewer than 70 Nigerians are believed to have died in the stampede.

    Alhaji Sanusi told Sokoto pilgrims in the Holy Land that stoning of the devil was not worth the blood of any Muslim.

    He quoted the Qur’an and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad that refusal to even perform the stoning of devil rituals does not in any way invalidate one’s Hajj.

    His words: “During the era of Prophet Muhammad, he permitted pilgrims who came on camels to stay in Mecca after Arafat, instead of staying in Mina and sleeping at Muzdalifa.

    “So, if the Prophet could give such grace to some people, just to protect their animals, why didn’t our scholars educate our people properly to avoid this untoward hardship and death.

    “Therefore, it will be part of my recommendations to the Federal Government that, if we cannot get accommodation close to Jamrat where the Arabs reside in Mina, then this year may be the last time we will sleep in Mina and Muzdalifa because we want to stone the devil.

    “Besides that, if one deliberately refuses to even perform the stoning of the devil rituals, all he needs to do is to slaughter a ram. So, if this is the situation, why do we go and suffer and die instead of sacrificing a ram?”

    Yesterday, Okunnu, who was Nigeria‘s Amirul Hajj in 1973 said what the Emir Sanusi said was his personal opinion which is not binding on pilgrims.

    “The job of Nigeria’s Amirul Hajj is to recommend to the Federal Government and the stakeholders of which Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) is playing a leading role, would examine. We’ll discuss that recommendation when we get to NSCIA meeting. The emir’s suggestion is open-ended,” he said.

    Okunnu, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria president urged Saudi Arabia to probe the incident to arrest a recurrence, saying: “We know Allah gives life and causes death to whomever and wherever He pleases. The people that died at Jamrat were not exempted. He gave them lives and He has taken them. We can only pray that this be the last of such incident. May we never have this kind of experience again.”

    Also yesterday, Sheikh Shafi’i, Mufti, Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO), who hailed Emir Sanusi for delving into scholars’ area of expertise, noted that many monarchs have little knowledge about their religion.

    The renowned scholar said the issue of abstaining from devil stoning is not as straight forward as Sanusi observed.

    “That angle (Jamrat) is a whole topic under Islamic Jurisprudent (Fiqh); many internationally recognised scholars would have to issue a Fatwa (verdict) before any nation can say her pilgrims should abstain from Jamrat exercise,” he said.

    Besides, he said, moving African pilgrims tent in Mina closer to Jamrat is not a requisite to avoid stampede.

    “What about the other nations that had their tents closer to Jamrat and still lost some of their pilgrims? What should be done is proper investigation of how it happened and ensure a reoccurrence is avoided,” he said.

    According to him, the hadith (Prophetic sayings) quoted by Sanusi was misconstrued, adding that the Prophet never exempted anybody from stoning rather he (Prophet Muhammad) only permitted them to return to Mecca and come from there for the stoning.

  • Hajj: Nigerians won’t stone devil again -Sanusi

    Hajj: Nigerians won’t stone devil again -Sanusi

    Nigeria‘s Amirul Hajj to the just concluded pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II, remains unhappy about the loss of many lives during the stoning of the devil rites during the hajj.

    He is already contemplating recommending to the federal government that Nigerians should in future skip that particular rite except they are accommodated close to Jamrat where the stoning takes place.

    No fewer than 70 Nigerians are believed to have lost their lives in the stampede during the rite while latest figures say over 1000 pilgrims died.

    Alhaji Sanusi who is also the Emir of Kano told Sokoto pilgrims in the Holy Land that  stoning of the devil is not worth the blood of any Muslim.

    The Emir who quoted several verses of the Qur’an and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said refusal to even perform the stoning of devil rituals does not in any way invalidate one’s Hajj.

    His words: “During the era of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), he permitted pilgrims who came on camels to stay in Makkah after Arafat, instead of staying in Mina and sleeping at Muzdalifa.

    “So, if the Prophet could give such grace to some people, just to protect their animals, why didn’t our scholars educate our people properly to avoid this untoward hardship and death.

    “Therefore, it will be part of my recommendations to the federal government that, if we cannot get accommodation close to Jamrat where the Arabs reside in Mina, then this year may be the last time we will sleep in Mina and Muzdalifa because we want to stone the devil.

    “Besides that, if one deliberately refuses to even perform the stoning of the devil rituals, all he needs to do is to slaughter a ram. So, if this is the situation, why do we go and suffer and die instead of sacrificing a ram?

    “As is it presently, sleeping in Mina and Muzdalifa is not backed by any Hadith or verse of the Qur’an. So, why do we continue to do it?”

    The Emir said, he would, as the leader of the Nigerian delegation, recommend that Nigerians no longer participate in the devil stoning rite, except they are accommodated close to ‘Jamrat’.

    He insisted that blacks, particularly Nigerians, were not responsible for the Mina stampede. Nigeria, according to him, has no issue with the Saudi authorities, but stressed that the Riyahd authorities must understand that no human being is superior to another before Allah, except he who fears Allah most.

    The Emir, however, challenged Islamic scholars to educate Muslims on how to perform a hitch-free hajj, without losing anybody’s blood.

     

  • Sanusi rejects Saudi blame of African pilgrims

    Sanusi rejects Saudi blame of African pilgrims

    Nigeria’s Amir Ul Hajj, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, has disputed claims by the Saudi authorities that African pilgrims were largely responsible for the stampede that caused the death of 725 pilgrims in Mecca on Thursday.

    Sanusi who is also the Emir of Kano and a respected voice on Islamic affairs told the Saudi Arabia “not to apportion blame to the pilgrims” for the incident.

    The victims were crushed to death and more than 850 other injured when two groups of pilgrims arrived at crossroads on Street 204 at the tent city of Mina.

    Shortly after the incident, Saudi prince Khaled al-Faisal, head of the Central Hajj Committee, stirred outrage as he blamed African pilgrims for the deadly stampede.

    Al-Faial who is the Saudi Health Minister said:”The investigations into the incident of the stampede that took place today in Mina, which was perhaps because some pilgrims moved without following instructions by the relevant authorities, will be fast and will be announced as has happened in other incidents.”

    Emir Sanusi who attended the committee meeting said after the meeting that pilgrims who complete the ritual should not cross those who are approaching the holy site.

    “They should not cross each other. We are therefore urging the Saudi authorities not to apportion blame to the pilgrims for not obeying instruction,” he said in a statement.

    Iran,arch-enemy of the Saudi Royal Family,insisted that Riyadh “must accept responsibility for this.”

    “The unavoidable fact is that the Saudi government has been incompetent in this regard and with regard to the management of the Hajj pilgrimage, and Riyadh must accept responsibility for this,” spokesman for Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Keyvan Khosravi, reportedly told the Iranian news agency,FARS.

    It said:“Sources revealed that the convoy of Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud caused panic among millions of pilgrims and started the stampede that has so far claimed the lives of 1,300 in Mina, near Mecca, on Thursday.

    “The large convoy of Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, the King’s son and deputy crown prince, that was escorted by over 3,500 security forces, including 200 army men and 150 policemen, sped up the road to go through the pilgrims that were moving towards the site of the ‘Stoning the Devil’ ritual, causing panic among millions of pilgrims who were on the move from the opposite direction and caused the stampede.”

    “That’s why the ruler of Mecca has distanced himself from the case, stressing that the issue should be studied and decided by the King.

    “No other source has yet confirmed the report, but observers said the revelation explains why two of the roads to the ‘Stoning the Devil’ site haves been closed.”

    The stampede was the worst incident to occur in Mecca during the hajj since 1990, when 1,426 pilgirms, many from Indonesia, Pakistan and Malaysia, were killed in a stampede in a pedestrian tunnel. Following another stampede in 2006, in which more than 300 people died, the Jamarat bridge and some pillars were demolished and reconstructed.

  • Sanusi urges Fed Govt on infrastructure growth

    Former Central Bank Governor, and Emir of Kano, Sanusi  Mohammed 11,  has advised the Federal Government to adopt a holistic approach in resolving infrastructural problems in order to move the country forward.

    He said infrastructural development should not be limited to road construction, but extended to other sectors, such as health and education to achieve meaningful socio-economic growth.

    Sanusi, in a statement while giving his approval to the forthcoming Nigeria Infrastructure Public Private Partnership Summit  billed to hold in the last quarter of this year, said the development of social infrastructure, especially health and education is critical to the well-being of the people.

    In the statement titled: ‘Emir of Kano, Sanusi Mohammed 11 Welcomes Focus on Social Infrastructure at the forthcoming Infrastructure Private Public Partnership (PPP) Summit,’  said  this during a visit to his palace in Kano, by the Summit Planning Team headed by A. B. Mahmoud, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

    He said the non-implementation of several recommendations from previous successful summits by past governments, has affected infrastructural developments in Nigeria, urging the team to ensure that the summit provides solution to  problems relating to infrastructural gaps among others,  besetting the growth of the country.

    His words: “I understand the critical role infrastructure plays in developing our economy, and in particular, the need for Nigeria to address the key social infrastructure deficit particularly in education and health that will deliver a better quality of life not just for the elite, but for those in society for whom access to one thousand naira could make the difference between losing a child and obtaining the medication and treatment that could save a child’s life.”

    In his response, the leader of the delegation, Mahmoud, said the summit would put in place a roadmap that would make government at all levels work together to develop critical infrastructure through public-private partnerships.

    Also, Gori Olusina Daniel, partner and Africa Regional Director at Adams & Moore, said the event would focus on four critical sectors– Power, Health, Transport and Education, in order to align with the Federal Government’s development priorities.

    Olusina, also a member of the delegation, said: “This summit is about charting the way forward in four critical sectors and establishing a private sector led Community of Practice, working in collaboration with government across all levels that will ensure the successful implementation of these roadmaps.”

    This year summit will bring together senior policy makers and analysts within the investment community – comprising senior industry leaders, fund managers, international development partners and experts with a keen interest in building on lessons learnt from across the continent and beyond, with the objective of charting roadmaps for the successful development and delivery of PPP projects in Nigeria over the next five to 10 years.

    It would be recalled that the Institute of Appraisers and Cost Engineers, (IA&CE) recently disclosed that the draft National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan would require an estimated amount of over US$2.9 trillion in investments over the next 30 years to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit.

    This corresponds to an annual average of US$25bn over the next four years – about four times the federal government’s total allocation to capital projects in the 2014 budget.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Sanusi urges Fed Govt on infrastructure growth

    Sanusi urges Fed Govt on infrastructure growth

    Former Central Bank Governor, and Emir of Kano, Sanusi Mohammed 11,  has advised the Federal Government to adopt a holistic approach in resolving infrastructural problems in order to move the country forward.

    He said infrastructural development should not be limited to road construction, but extended to other sectors, such as health and education to achieve meaningful socio-economic growth.

    Sanusi, in a statement  while giving his approval to the forthcoming 2015 Nigeria Infrastructure Public Private Partnership Summit  billed to hold in the last quarter of this year, said the development of social infrastructure, especially health and education is critical to the wellbeing of the people.

    In the statement entitled: ‘Emir of Kano, Sanusi Mohammed 11 Welcomes Focus on Social Infrastructure at the forthcoming Infrastructure Private Public Partnership (PPP) Summit,’  said  this during a visit to his palace in Kano, by the Summit Planning Team headed by A. B. Mahmoud, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

    He said the non-implementation of several recommendations from previous successful Summits by past Governments, has affected infrastructural developments in Nigeria, urging the team to ensure that the summit provides solution to  problems relating to infrastructural gaps among others,  besetting the growth of the country.

    His words: “I understand the critical role infrastructure plays in developing our economy, and in particular, the need for Nigeria to address the key social infrastructure deficit particularly in education and health that will deliver a better quality of life not just for the elite, but for those in society for whom access to one thousand naira could make the difference between losing a child and obtaining the medication and treatment that could save a child’s life”.

    In his response, the leader of the delegation, Mahmoud, said the summit would put in place a roadmap that would make government at all levels work together to develop critical infrastructure through public private partnerships.

    Also, Gori Olusina Daniel, partner and Africa Regional Director at Adams & Moore, said the summit would focus on four critical sectors– Power, Health, Transport and Education, in order to align with the Federal Government’s development priorities.

    Olusina, also a member of the delegation, said: “This summit is about charting the way forward in four critical sectors and establishing a private sector led Community of Practice, working in collaboration with government across all levels that will ensure the successful implementation of these roadmaps”.

  • Sanusi’s furious tirade against Fashola

    SIR: In an article written by Mobolaji Sanusi, published at page 22 of The Nation of June 5, the writer sought to castigate the former Governor for not publicly expressing his gratitude to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu when handing over the reins of government to Mr. Akinwumi Ambode on May 29.

    Even if one were to wrongly assume that Fashola had failed to demonstrate gratitude to Asiwaju Tinubu for putting him in power, one is compelled to wonder why Sanusi, expressed himself with so much bile, vitriol and poison.  In a very short article, Sanusi was able to refer to Fashola as (1) an “unknown political and widely rejected entity” in 2007; (2) “inconsequential Fashola”; (3) “once proletarian lawyer, hardly known by his next door neighbor”; (4) “Mischief maker”; (5) “an ungrateful beneficiary” and (6) “Tinubu made Fashola governor from nothing”, amongst other offensive vituperations.

    It is obvious from his hate expressions, that Sanusi had a deep personal grudge against Fashola. He did not need to descend into the sewer to criticize the former governor.  This demonstration of over boiling anger was purely an expression of a private hidden agenda.  Tinubu and the handover ceremony merely provided the opportunity for the pouring of this venom on Fashola.

    Talking of gratitude, I believe the greatest tribute and appreciation Fashola paid to and showed Asiwaju Tinubu, is his outstanding performance as governor.  It confirmed Tinubu as an excellent judge of character, and an inspiring and model boss.

    In all tributes paid to Fashola in the last eight years, and in books and articles published about the Fashola years in power, there is a constant reference to Tinubu as the source of the vision about Lagos, the layer of the foundation on which Fashola built and the mentor who could see excellence in others because he is himself the embodiment of excellence. A transient statement that could have been made at the handover ceremony on May 29, would not have had the permanent effect that Fashola’s performance has had as a measure of Tinubu’s greatness as a leader.

    I was present at Tafawa Balewa Square during the handover ceremony on May 29, and my vivid impression was that Fashola was expressing direct thanks to the former governors who happened to be physically present at the venue.  And so Sanusi totally ignored the context in which the so-called thanks were expressed by Fashola.  In any case, only these two political colleagues, Tinubu and Fashola can give testimony about the frequency and intensity of Fashola’s demonstration of appreciation to Tinubu.

    In conclusion, I appeal to these two stars of modern Nigerian politics, not to allow enmity or ill-will to creep into their relationship with each other.  They have individually and collectively achieved on outstanding performance in Nigerian political history.  This nation continues to need them to work together.  They must not allow toadying sycophants and bootlickers to separate them.

     

    • Prof Itse Sagay,

    Lagos