Monday, June 09, 2014

Protest As Sanusi, CBN Ex-Governor, Emerges New Emir of Kano
Former Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi appointed new
emir of Kano.
Written by Isaac Taiwo (Lagos), Abba Anwar and Murtala Muhammed (Kano)
Nigerian Guardian

A NEW emir of Kano was announced Sunday. He is a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

   In a speech of not more than two minutes, the Secretary to the Kano State Government Rabi’u Sulaiman Bichi disclosed that after exhaustive deliberation by the kingmakers in the last two days they submitted their decision to the state government which considered and endorsed it.  

  The announcement was made in the presence of the kingmakers: Madakin Kano, Sarkin Ban Kano, Sarkin Dawaki Mai Tuta and the Makama of Kano. The announcement reversed a rumour spreading in the state since yesterday that the eldest son of the emir would be appointed as the new emir.

  It was learnt that before a final decision was taken by the state government, the governor summoned some elders in the state to consult with them.

  Sanusi, 53, succeeded the late Ado Bayero as the 14th Sullubawa Fulani Emir of Kano.
  The Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero died at 83 last Friday after spending 50 years on the throne.  
   The four wise men (kingmakers), the Sarkin Bai, Madaki Kano, Sarkin Dawakin Mai Tuta and Makama on Saturday evening submitted three names to the state government for selection.
   The former CBN governor finally emerged as the new emir after a keenly contested race between the eldest son of the immediate past emir, who is the current district head of Gwale, and the Wambe Kano, Alhaji Abbas Sanusi.

  Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was born on July 31, 1961. He was born into a prominent family, his father was a permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the 1960’s and he was the grandson of the Emir of Kano and Islamic scholar, Alhaji Mohammadu Sanusi.

  Security men took over the ancient palace of the emir and across the strategic quarters in the metropolis to check the breakdown of law and order.

  Despite these security measures, angry youths took over major streets in Kano metropolis yesterday shortly after the announcement.

  The protesters were said to have destroyed property worth millions of naira. Reports say several houses and vehicles were damaged in the protest.

   A reliable source hinted that the protesters believed to be loyalists of Alhaji Lamido Ado Bayero, the eldest son of the late emir were showing their displeasure over the choice of the former governor of the CBN.

  As at the time of filing this report, normalcy had returned to the city as security men had since taken over the situation.

  Lamido Sanusi was born in Kano, Northern Nigeria, on July 31, 1961. He obtained degrees in Economics and Islamic Law from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the International University of Africa, Khartoum. After teaching economics for two years at the Ahmadu Bello University, he started a banking career in 1985 with Icon Limited (Merchant Bankers) and later worked with the United Bank for Africa Plc and First Bank of Nigeria Plc. His banking career spanned various fields including issuing house activity, financial advisory services and credit marketing. However, it was in the field of risk management that he earned his professional reputation, having distinguished himself as the Chief Risk Officer in the two largest banks in the country, UBA Plc and FBN Plc. He rose to the position of group managing director/chief executive officer of First Bank Plc, the largest bank in the country in January 2009 and was appointed the 10th governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in June, 2009.

   Sanusi was appointed governor in the middle of a global financial crisis with the banking system on the verge of collapse due to a large exposure to the stock market in the form of bubble capital and excessive margin lending by some banks, as well as concentration of lending to other areas like petroleum marketing.

   Under his leadership, the Central Bank of Nigeria moved swiftly and boldly to implement far-reaching reforms in the banking industry aimed at addressing the root causes of the crises in poor corporate governance and risk management practices, management fraud, insider abuses and weak regulation supervision and enforcement.

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