A former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, Sunday visited Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, saying the governor was the first person to show up whenever he was in need of friends and the whole world knows.
The former Emir, who made this known when he paid a courtesy call on the governor at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on Sunday, explained that he has decided that El-Rufai would be the first person he would visit when he steps out of Lagos State.
Sanusi said he was in the Government House in Kaduna to thank El-Rufai for his friendship, his service to the state and the country at large.
The former monarch also expressed appreciation on his appointment as Chancellor of Kaduna State University (KASU) and Vice Chairman of Kaduna Invest Promotion Agency (KADIPA).
He added that Kaduna State has already overtaken other states as the leading destination for investments, saying “whatever we do will be simply supporting work that has already been done, and results that are already showing.”
Sanusi, who’s a former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), assured El-Rufai that he would continue to put in his best to support the governor’s efforts to develop the state and also make his contribution to Kaduna State University.
“I am always ready to offer advice and counsel and to receive same. As you know, I will be going to Oxford in October for a year, following your footsteps to publish a few books,’’ he said.
The ex-Emir also thanked the people of Kaduna for the warm reception that they extended to him.
‘’I was overwhelmed by the reception that I received. I did not expect the crowd that I got. The people of Kaduna walked from the Air Force base to Government House and they are still there waiting to escort me to my residence, and I am looking forward to a fruitful seven days in Kaduna, meeting friends and relatives, and also meeting officials (of Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency) as it is more or less a working visit,’’ he added.
Sanusi prayed God to uphold the governor, bring peace to the state and the country.
In his response, El-Rufai said he’s delighted to welcome him to Kaduna, adding that he’s deeply touched that Kaduna is the first place Sanusi decided to visit since his relocation to Lagos.
El-Rufai noted that Kaduna is lucky to have a person of Sanusi’s calibre on the board of its investment agency because of his wide global network, integrity and reputation.
Idowu Sowunmi
