The former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Muhammed Sanusi, said Nigeria is divided. Also, he stated that the country has never been this divided since the Civil War of 1967–1970.
According to him, the country was divided along ethnic and religious lines. Further, this has put the integrity of public institutions in question. Consequently, the people now have suspicions about policies, policing, the judiciary, and the election umpire.
Sanusi made these comments on Tuesday at the third Nigerian Leadership Colloquium in honour of the senior pastor of Trinity House, Lagos, Ituah Ighodalo, who turned 62. The event was tagged “A New Nigeria: Leadership Imperatives for Radical Growth and Transformation.”
Furthermore, he added that the economy was in the doldrums. Hence, we are faced with the challenge of nation-building. Additionally, beyond defining the kind of leaders the country needs, it also needs to look critically at the process through which the leaders emerge.
Indeed, we need to have a system where one cannot just go to participate in party primaries without being exposed to public scrutiny. Besides, people need to know what they are voting for. In other climes, they are compelled by law to participate in public debates to discuss issues of policy.
Lastly, Sanusi added that Nigeria is the only country where we elect a president before knowing if he knows what he is doing or whether he understands what the job is.