Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, has cast aspersions on Nigeria’s political elite for impeding the country’s development by treating public office as a personal and family enterprise.

The respected Emir, who spoke on Wednesday at the 15th anniversary celebration of Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria in Lagos, stated that the political class has repeatedly sapped and squandered national opportunities because its priorities are not people-oriented.

Sanusi, however, contended that the foundation of Nigeria’s poor State lies in how those in power understand governance.

“We have done enough damage, and maybe we need to stop. Sometimes these are not just missed opportunities; they are deliberately missed opportunities.

“The reason we miss these opportunities is that we have people who think public office is about themselves, it’s about their families, it’s about people close to them. It’s not about the country, but public office is about the citizens,” he said.

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The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) called on young Nigerians to ensure what he termed as a dysfunctional system built on division and self-interest.

He urged citizens to rise to the occasion and take ownership of the nation and chart a new path for its future.

“As citizens, each and every one of us must remember that the nation belongs to us. It does not belong to the government; it does not belong to politicians. We own this country,” he said.

He further called on the youth to mount a United front across ethnic and religious lines and craft a clear, realistic ideological roadmap for a more equitable Nigeria.

“It has to be a Nigeria different from the one that has been manufactured for us — a Nigeria of ethnic rivalries, religious conflicts, and competition for aggrandisement. It has to be a country that realises its potential in the committee of nations,” Sanusi said.