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Kano Emir, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II has said elites in the country are out of touch with the reality of poverty amongst the masses.
He said this on Saturday at a public lecture in Abuja to mark the 60th birthday of former Rivers Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
He explained he saw the reality of pain and extreme poverty when he became Kano Emir, and had to be in touch with the masses.
He emphasised that Nigerians are living in abject poverty, adding that rural areas cannot access simple healthcare.
According to the Kano 16th Emir, “Many of the elite in Nigeria do not know what poverty is. As an economist, former CBN Governor, I see the numbers. I did not know poverty until I became Emir,” he said.
“And you go to the village and see the water they drink, the houses they live in, the two-block classrooms without roofs.
“Do we love the people, or do we just love ruling over them? What are our priorities? We make overheads and underpasses for ourselves in the cities, while in the rural areas, they cannot reach hospitals. We are in crisis; how we get out should be our focus.”
He noted that there’s a need for leadership to be rooted in empathy to save more Nigerians from the harsh realities of economic bondage.
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