Sanusi Berates Civil Servants For Allowing Politicians To Think For Them

His Royal Highness, Muhammadu Sanusi II has said Nigeria is in this current mess because civil servants allowed politicians to think for them.

Speaking at the Closing Ceremony of the AIG Public Leaders Programme Class of 2021 held yesterday, at the Conference Hall, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, the former CBN Governor, Sanusi said “the civil servants are supposed to think for the politicians. We are in this mess because the civil servants allowed the politicians to think for them.”

He said public servants are foremost the employees of the public and not the employees of the Head of State or politicians, stressing that past civil servants bequeathed great legacy for the civil service, and that public service is all about service and being impactful and not to make money.

Sanusi said there was nothing wrong in seeking wealth but anyone who wants money should be in the private sector rather than the public service.

The former king while illustrating what it takes to be a civil servant, narrated the story of his father who was ready to sacrifice his career to without the tenets of civil service.

He said when the decadence of the civil service is traced in the country, everyone tend to say the Nigerian Civil Service was destroyed in the 1970s because of what was a purge and a massive retrenchment of civil servants, under the Murtala/Obasanjo administration, and “we all blame the political leadership, the question is was the leadership entirely to blame my father was appointed Permanent Secretary.

He said his father was given a list 40 ambassadors to retire in the purge but he refused and was summoned to Dodan Barrack and was asked why he decided on the contrary when others have submitted the list of those to be sacked.

He said his father stood his ground and said it was against the civil service rule to forcefully retired anyone who has not been queried but the Head of State insisted that he should go back to bring the list of those to be sacked but my father he won’t do that unless his name top the list.

Sanusi said this saved the 40 ambassadors from being sacked, asking however that “what if other permanent secretaries have done same.

He noted that a civil or public servant should be able to take the right decision devoid of sentiment and pecuniary gain, “If you ever are faced with a choice, which is holding on to your job, and doing what is in the best interest of the nation, you must be ready to walk away from that job.”

He added that: “And that’s why I think I’ve been sacked so many times. You know, and every time I’m sacked, I’m not upset because it will not change me. It could not change the fact that I am no one slave. I’m a servant of this country and the Nigerian people.”

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation gave the welcome address, during which he discussed the Foundation’s mission of driving public sector transformation, and the role that partnerships such as those with the Blavatnik School of Government and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation played in actualising that mission.

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan expressed her pleasure at the impact that the the future public sector leaders being developed through the AIG Public Leaders Programme were already having on their organisations. She applauded them for the projects they have begun to implement that were already driving positive change.

Yemi-Esan said: “We need to wake up from our slumber which we are doing already.”

She added that: “Nigerians are waiting for us to change things. If you want to change a system you must be ready to have headaches for there is going to be resistance. But I am encouraged that those before me went through the same challenge.”

The AIG Public Leaders Programme is an executive education programme for public servants currently at the Directorate level, who have the potential to be change-makers in their organisations. This seven-week programmeis run by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.

The 2021 graduating class was made up of 49 exceptional public servants who were selected after a rigorous multistage process from across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, working in different government ministries, departments, and agencies. Each participant was awarded a scholarship worth £11,500 each by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, to attend the programme delivered in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.