The 2024 Annual Conference of the Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo (NNII) that was held in Abuja this week (Tuesday 3rd December 2024), was themed “Driving Transformation Through Value Reorientation, Inclusive Leadership, and Sustainability”, and had the attendance of numerous dignitaries. These dignitaries include top office directors, traditional rulers, and politicians from different registered and recognized political parties in Nigeria. Parties present were the ruling party APC (All Progressive Congress), the PDP (People’s Democratic Party), the APGA (All Progressive Grand Alliance), and others who were noticed honoring the invite for the conference.
As the event progressed, Sanusi Muhammed II, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the present Emir of Kano gave a speech that triggered mixed feelings everywhere. His speech pointed out how politics is being practiced in the country.
Sanusi’s analysis boiled down to passing a powerful message embedded with “Food for Thought”, “ Conscience Search”, “ True Essence of Politics”, and “Purpose of Leadership”.
Linking the current happenings and mindset of 95% of political office holders, who are “Accumulating wealth by falsifying and looting funds at the slightest Opportunity,” to the suffering and pain of the common Nigerian man, the Emir’s word never sounded like a pipe dream but like the bitter truth piercing and hitting the nail on the head.
“ You held an office for 4 or 8 years all you can say is that “I was a Minister for so many years” “I was a Senator for These years” or “I was a President for so many years”. So what if you were the President?
“What did you do with the 8 years? What do you want to be remembered for? Is it the houses that you will die and leave causing your children to fight over?
Is it the money you will hide in Swiss accounts that will never even come to your family? And sometimes your family gets it. But we have seen the children become drug addicts, they become what we call “Money Miss Road”. They spend it on parties and after 3 or 4 years the money is gone.
Sanusi also made it known to their hearing that irrespective of their tribe and ethnicity, engaging in these acts qualifies them as “THIEVES”.
“People are given opportunities in public services to transform the lives of people for the better. God gave them that opportunity. And as we always say, for those of us who are privileged, nothing tells you that God loves you better than the other person he did not give the same privilege. It is a test. God makes you a governor or an Emir or a President or a Senator and he does not make hundreds of thousands or millions. He is testing you to see what you would do with that position to help those that He did not give. And it is a great opportunity to write your name in Gold, but people don’t want to.”
The traditional ruler ended with a call back to trace purpose by saying that until they all go back, knowing the importance of who they are, the rest of Nigerians will never go anywhere. He stressed that having a fat bank account, and numerous mansions, will never be enough, but being able to impact humanity positively is the ultimate purpose of leadership.
