By Mustapha Mustafa
The emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi ll Wednesday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for forming Economic Advisory Council (EAC).
Addressing newsmen at his palace, Sanusi said the president has done the right thing by appointing professional economists who know the nitty gritty of Nigerian economy.
According to him, at this time when the nation is facing economic problems, and the global economy facing uncertainty due to trade wars, the president had done a good things by forming what he described as “first class economic team.”
The monarch described the members of the team as season economists who, according to him, would turn the nation’s economy around, adding that their appointment could have been the best policy of the Buhari administration.
He added that Buhari deserved commendation and support for taking the bull by its horn in fixing the ailing economy of the country, expressing optimism that the the EAC members would be fantastic in accomplishing the mission.
“If you look at the kind of system we operate, if you look at the United States, every US president always has a council of economic advisers. And one of the reasons you have that council is you want independent academics who are able to give you frank and honest advice on how to run the economy and address its problems.
” What president has done is to follow that pattern, to appoint a team of highly respected professionals to advise him at this time when we have economic problem and fiscal issue. When a global economy is facing uncertainty due trade wars, the president needs high quality advice,” he said
Emir Sanusi however denied criticising government’s economic policies, accusing media, especially the newspapers of misrepresenting his views.
He said “I don’t think it is correct that i am criticising the economic policy of the government. I think newspapers have derived a lot of fun misrepresenting my views. I am not critical of government economic policies. What I have always done is to see things and to offer advices on things to be done.
“What we do as advisers and economics is to praise things that have been done possibly and recommend areas of improvement,” he said
While extolling the appointees, the emir said he had practically known and worked with them, adding that the president had done a good thing by appointing them as his economic team.
“The team is a fantastic team. I know practically all of them. I have worked with many of them at different points in my life. Soludo was CBN governor when I was in banking. Doyin Salami, Shehu Yahya were both on the Monitory Policy Committee of the CBN.
” I have worked with Muhammad Sagagi in the Industrialisation Plan for DFID in Kano. These are the people that are highly respected by professional economist. They are the best team that you can put together. And they have a great balance. You have monitory policy, you have fiscal policy, you have development plan, you have financial market and I think the president has done himself a lot of good,”
