From Molly Kilete. Abuja

Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has described Nigerians as “selfish” and only looking out for their families.

Also, the monarch attributed  security challenges bedeviling Nigeria to poverty and lack of education.  “The bane of leadership in Nigeria is that the leaders are selfish; they only think of their families.”

Sanusi said this, yesterday, at the presentation ceremony of ‘Most Security Conscious Governor’ award to Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, by the Nigeria Police, in Abuja.

The emir called on political leaders to see the need to provide selfless service and good  governance to their people.

He urged people in positions of authority to prioritise the needs of their people and added that lack of allocation of resources has impacted negatively on infrastructural development.

“Those of us who think that public office is a place to enjoy ourselves should think again.

“Poverty, lack of education is violence; it breeds violence because many segments of the society are denied access,” he noted.

Sanusi, while calling on the Federal Government to tackle other forms of security challenges having recorded a huge success in tackling insurgency in the country, pointed out that non-prosecution of those found culpable of insecurity in the country was responsible for the continued violence being experienced.

“The country is facing so many threats; in the North East, we are facing insurgents who kill and rape young girls.

“We have a society that is at the risk of great decay.

“In the Niger Delta, we have a group of people fighting for resource control, who blow up oil pipelines.”

Earlier, in his address, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, said his men have recorded tremendous achievement in the area of security since Kogi governor, Bello, came to power.