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The 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 rather than giving the President honest advice that can save the nation’s economy.

Sanusi gave the charge on Monday in Abuja at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference and Book Launch, where he and Atedo Peterside dissected Nigeria’s economic policies and governance challenges.

Speaking on the need for integrity and courage in public service, Sanusi lamented that Nigeria’s leadership crisis is worsened by sycophancy, as those who tell the truth are often branded enemies of the government.

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

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

“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,’” Sanusi said. “By the time they finish laying that foundation, it is their advice that the President accepts.”

“But when you tell the truth and point out what is wrong, they say you are the enemy. That is why people like Atedo Peterside and myself are always seen as enemies of the state because people don’t like hearing the truth.”

Sanusi urged ministers and presidential advisers to restore integrity to public service by speaking truth to power, stressing that blind loyalty has been one of Nigeria’s greatest obstacles to progress.

“Those who work with the President must understand that it is not in their benefit to turn themselves into praise singers,” he warned. “You disgrace yourself and the office you hold when you do that.”

Turning to the economy, the Emir commended the Tinubu administration for removing fuel subsidy and unifying exchange rates, describing both as “painful but necessary steps.” However, he cautioned that these reforms will fail if not matched with institutional discipline and prudent spending.

“If you stop paying subsidies but continue borrowing more, it means you’ve filled one hole only to dig another,” he said. “The real challenge now is the quality of government spending and the management of the revenues saved.”

Sanusi, who served as CBN Governor between 2009 and 2014, said Nigeria’s current economic crisis was the consequence of years of policy inconsistency and populist politics, noting that the same politicians who opposed subsidy removal in 2012 are now implementing it.

“In 2012, we warned that the subsidy was unsustainable, but politics took over,” he recalled. “Now the same people who led protests against it have inherited the problem and had no choice but to do the right thing.”

The Emir praised the professionalism of the current economic team, including Finance Minister Wale Edun and CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso, saying they have taken commendable steps to stabilize inflation and reduce exchange rate volatility.

Nonetheless, he called for urgent action to cut waste in government, reduce the size of the cabinet, and demonstrate leadership by example.

“Why do we need 48 ministers? Why do we need long convoys of vehicles and endless travel expenses?” he queried. “We cannot preach sacrifice to the people while living in luxury at the top.”

The conference, themed “Reimagining Leadership and Governance in a Changing Africa,” brought together policymakers, development experts, and academics to discuss pathways for effective governance and institutional reform.

In his remarks, Atedo Peterside, founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, echoed Sanusi’s call for fiscal responsibility, saying government must prove that savings from subsidy removal are being used to uplift ordinary Nigerians.

“It’s not true that pain automatically brings gain,” Peterside warned. “Gain only follows pain if the government spends wisely, eliminates waste, and supports the poor.”

The duo agreed that Nigeria’s recovery depends not only on bold economic reforms but on a moral reawakening among those in power.

“Good policy without good governance is like planting a tree and refusing to water it,” Sanusi said. “Nigeria’s leaders must stop surrounding themselves with praise singers and start listening to the truth even when it is uncomfortable.”