With HRH S.L. Sanusi, diaris God o!

As a toddler, you grew up in the relatively aplomb confines of the royal house-hold. Though a royal at birth, your blood is not exactly blue for sure. You needed royal upbringing with the opulence and splendour of the royal household. And because your blood is red like that of the rest of us, it […]

As a toddler, you grew up in the relatively aplomb confines of the royal house-hold.
Though a royal at birth, your blood is not exactly blue for sure. You needed royal upbringing with the opulence and splendour of the royal household. And because your blood is red like that of the rest of us, it meant you also needed education.
In the past education for royals like you was restricted to the intricate knowledge of the holy Quran, Islamic law and jurisdiction, as well as the delicate science of administrating to royal court and subjects. But the 20th century came with its peculiar perils for tradition and the ways it required the royal court of Kano, along with others in different parts of the north, to engage with the different civilization they were confronted with.
If pragmatism determined the way his grandparents engaged our colonial masters, when they quickly adapted to the ways of the white man, there was nothing accidental in their choice of Christian Missionary schools in furtherance of the education of the young Sanusi.  
The other word for their calculated risk – if at all it could be called that – is called ‘vision’, and, well, confidence. Both are in desperately short supply in many critical places these days.  How could you be sure of the adequacy of your own education without testing it against that of your competitors?
How could Sanusi have survived or become relevant in post-colonial Nigeria without the barest from of western education? And how could he have guarded against infringements against his own religion and civilization without learning the ways of the colonialists or viewing issues through the same prism?
To me, this is precisely where the original ideologists of Boko Haram – not to be mistaken with the gangsters and rapists bearing the same name these days, miss the point completely. Western education is not necessarily a negation of the Islamic faith. In fact it strengthens it. I also benefitted from the same experience.
Sanusi’s forbearers knew that. They were also assured in the knowledge that they had as much to learn from the white man as much as the colonialists also had much to admire about our own civilization.
That was why they left the old Native Authority system the way they met it in the north. That was what informed the ‘indirect rule’ system they employed in much of the Northern provinces. Sanusi’s parents did not send him to missionary schools out of inferiority complex. They had no need to.
The British did not teach them how to wear a trouser, shirt, or bowler hat.  Such refinement, along with how to manage human beings, or even the science of constructing and managing empires, had been pretty much part of their civilization since the 11th century AD at least! And the British knew it, believe me.
It wasn’t until 1885 that they had Nigeria under their colonial thumb. That was barely a year after the Berlin Conference when Britain, along with other Caucasian bandit states sat at decided to carve up Africa among themselves as if it was their common heritage.   
Therefore, Sanusi grew up in the hands of people who knew the value of education whether it came from the West or the East. It is also not possible to overcome the motives of aggressors without careful study of the issues that motivates them.  But beyond the serial rape, and pillage, of our resources for nearly half a century, the British also left better educated about us, never mind what Nigerians, as a collective, and to our eternal shame, appeared to have learnt nothing from our colonial experience. But I digress, somehow.
The point here is that it should not have surprised anyone that Sanusi Lamido Sanusi could quote effortlessly from verses in the Bible while also remaining such an authority in Islamic theology. It should have surprised us even less that he proved to be such a competent banker and erudite public commentator and whistle blower.
We should never have been amazed that he could be seated next to the Minister of Petroleum and still had the courage to declare to the world that 20 billion dollars was stolen under her watch.
We should never had been mystified that Sanusi could confront the rogue bankers that were once his colleagues, with such exemplary courage and determination until most of them were goaled after forfeiting their much of their loot.
We should never have doubted the capacity of Sanusi in the manner he squared up to an inept president confused about the constitutional responsibilities of protecting the Nigerian treasury from unprecedented theft and the primitive need to protect close associates suspected to have abused their offices. Those who were old enough to know informed me that such stubbornness and capacity to square up to superior authorities on principle is part of the Sanusi DNA.
On that score, we should never have been surprised that his tenure at the CBN ended the way it did. Lesser mortals than him could very easily have reached some form of accommodation with his traducers at enormous cost to our dear nation. It was also inevitable that his travails attracted diverse opinion from Nigerians. Most have applauded his courage, but there were also others who sneezed at his arrogance. But in between their disdain you also could not fail to notice grudging respect for his courage and audacity.
But Sanusi has found more favour abroad than at home with numerous awards and sterling recognitions for his role in ensuring that the global financial crisis of 2008 did not impact too negatively on the Nigerian economy for his bold corrective interventions.   
As one commentator has put it that is the calibre of man Nigeria has surrendered willingly to the Kano Emirate Council in our greatest hour of need. Nigeria’s loss has become Kano’s gain, and it is so easy to see exactly who has been short-changed!
Despite the shameless shenanigans, including the perplexing recourse by the PDP leadership to congratulate another rival to the throne even before the appropriate authority had made a formal declaration on the outcome of the selection process, HRH Sanusi Lamido Sanusi stands supreme and un-smeared in our sleazy valley of corruption, deceit, arrogance and unprecedented decline in dignity and moral standards.
But now, he must stand even taller. I seize this opportunity to urge His Royal Highness to immediately withdraw his pending court cases against the President even if they were instituted to protect the sanctity of the office of the CBN governor and not the individual that temporarily occupies it – a fact lost on not a few buffoons who have had a say on the matter.  
By doing so, he will not only be protecting the dignity of his royal calling, but also, ultimately, giving an impromptu lecture on the value of leadership and responsibility to some principalities in dire need of both.
I conclude this peace in the hope that Mr President and the PDP have at last found the courage and decency to congratulate Sanusi after their costly error of judgment. Only the most enthusiastic of earthly transgressors could have failed to see the hands of God in the entire sordid affair.