Former Emir of Kano Muhammad Lamido Sanusi, was removed from office to save the system and the traditional institution from abuse, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has explained.

Ganduje said he had no choice but repeat dose given to Sanusi by former President Goodluck Jonathan, easing him out from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the governor.

His explanation was made at the presentation of a book on the former president by Bonaventure Philips Melah, a journalist.

Sanusi was removed as emir on March 9 by the Kano State government under Gaduje’s watch.

According to him, Sanusi was not the best man for the throne at the time he was appointed in June 2014, saying that the deposed emir was appointed to spite former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Dr. Jonathan, then as President, had in April 2014, sacked Sanusi as CBN governor over claims by him that $49 billion was stolen by some persons in the Jonathan administration.

Faulting Sanusi’s public outburst over the alleged fraud, Ganduje said the ex-CBN boss ought to have discussed the matter privately with the former President, who in turn could have ordered investigation into the allegation.

According to Ganduje, Jonathan took a bold step by sacking Sanusi, even though the action created bad blood in some quarters.

He said: “Jonathan took a bold step in sacking Sanusi as CBN governor, which created bad blood in certain circles. When Sanusi said $49 billion was lost in Jonathan’s government, I said in my mind that no, you could have discussed with him (Jonathan) privately.

“You could have given him this clue and then he would know how to investigate even before those who had stolen the money would find a way of hiding the money.

“That statement, I said in my mind was not honourable. That statement created bad blood.”

In June 2014, barely two months after he was sacked as CBN governor, Sanusi was appointed as the Emir of Kano, a position that Ganduje said he least deserved.

The Kano governor said the March 9, 2020 sack of the emir was to “save the system and to save the institution”.

Sanusi was appointed by the administration of former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Ganduje served in the government as Kwankwanso’s deputy before becoming governor in 2015.

Sounding derisively jocular, Ganduje said: “Sanusi was appointed Emir of Kano not because he was the best man for the throne but to retaliate what Jonathan did to him.

“That was in order to prove that what Jonathan did to him was wrong and that the people of Kano wanted their son as Emir and therefore they decided to appoint him as Emir.

“But when he was appointed, there were a lot of demonstration with people burning tyres here and there. But because of government backing, he was sustained on the stool.

“When I became governor, (that’s why you will laugh), I said yes, the Jonathan medicine is an important medicine.

“That medicine, even though I am not a medical doctor, but that medicine would serve the same purpose, for the same disease and for the same patient.

“So I took my Jonathan medicine and decided to save the system, to save the institution and I applied it effectively. So, Jonathan and I are on the same page. Actually, I have no regrets.”

TheNation