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| HRH Sanusi Lamido Sanusi |
Despite reports of intimidation and threats from the Jonathan administration in Abuja, Nigeria's ousted central bank governor and prominent government critic, Lamido Sanusi, has been named the new emir of Kano in Nigeria.
The new emir becomes one of the most influential spiritual and political leaders in the country's largely Muslim north.
As bank governor, Mr Sanusi had leveled accusations of high-level fraud and was suspended in February by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The previous emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero, died after a long illness at the age of 83 last Friday.
In the aftermath of Sanusi's appointment as the new emir, Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, a known critic of Jonathan, had his plane impounded on the others of the Nigerian leader, who has increasingly become more desperate as his administration further unravels.
Sanusi has received his official letters of enthronement from the Kano State government and his formal coronation as the 14th Emir of ancient Kano took place Monday, June 9th, 2014.
About Lamido Sanusi
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was born July 31 1961 is the current emir of Kano. He was also governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, appointed on June 3 2009 and suspended from office by President Goodluck Jonathan on February 20 2014, after exposing a $20 billion fraud committed by the president’s associates in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC). He is a career banker and ranking Fulani nobleman and also serves as a respected Islamic scholar.
Global financial intelligence magazine The Banker, published by the Financial Times, conferred on Sanusi two awards – the Global award for Central Bank Governor of the Year, as well as for Central Bank Governor of the Year for Africa. The TIME magazine also listed Sanusi in its TIMES 100 list of most influential people of 2011.
Sanusi is recognised in the banking industry for his contributions to the development of a risk management culture in Nigerian banking. First Bank is Nigeria’s oldest bank and one of the biggest financial institutions in Africa. Sanusi was the first northerner to be appointed CEO in First Bank’s history of more than a century.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Financial Times in December 2009, Sanusi defended the extensive reforms he had initiated since taking office, dubbed by some as the “Sanusi tsunami”. Some believe that he had a personal vendetta against some of the banks’ CEOs, while others pointed to proof of mismanagement of funds by some of the CEOs, most notably Cecelia Ibru, as justification for the steps he implemented.
He noted that there was no choice but to attack the many powerful and interrelated vested interests who were exploiting the financial system and expressed his appreciation of support from the Presidency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the finance minister and others.
He noted that there was no choice but to attack the many powerful and interrelated vested interests who were exploiting the financial system and expressed his appreciation of support from the Presidency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the finance minister and others.
The Banker unanimously recognized him as the Central Bank Governor of the Year 2010, citing his radical anti-corruption campaign aimed at saving 24 banks on the brink of collapse and pressing for the managers involved in the most blatant cases of corruption to be charged and, in the case of two senior bankers, imprisoned.
Sanusi has spoken at many distinguished events including Warwick Economics Summit in February 2012, where he spoke about banking reforms in Nigeria and their impact on the economy.
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