Kano Emirate: Fani-Kayode reacts to Ganduje’s plan to depose Emir
Sanusi
A former Minister
of Aviation and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Femi
Fani-Kayode, has reacted to reports claiming that the Kano State Governor,
Abdullahi was planning to depose the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi ll.
The Ganduje-led
administration queried Sanusi for allegedly misappropriating the Emirate
Council’s N3.4 billion.
Our Correspondent
reliably gathered that the Emir was queried after the submission of a report by
the State office of the anti-corruption and Public Complaint Commission who
investigated him on the alleged squandering of the Emirate Council’s funds.
The report which
was submitted to the Government late Tuesday is said to have recommended for
the immediate suspension of the Emir.
The government has
consequently handed down a query to the Emir through the Office of the
Secretary to the Government, Usman Alhaji late Tuesday.
We reported
that the government is planning on the complete deposition of the Emir when a
final report of its forthcoming panel of inquiry comes out indicting Sanusi.
However,
Fani-Kayode said that what Gov. Ganduje was doing to Sanusi was unacceptable.
In a tweet on
Thursday, Fani-Kayode wrote: “I’m not the greatest fan of the Emir of Kano but
I believe in justice for all regardless of my personal views about the victim
of persecution and oppression or my prejudices. What Gov. Ganduje is doing to
the Emir is unacceptable. It is petty, vindictive and politically-motivated.”
Elder statesman and
Second Republic politician, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, has charged Emir Muhammadu
Sanusi II, to be bold and answer the query issued him by investigators of the
alleged financial mismanagement of Kano Emirate Council.
Reacting
to the reported query that was issued to the Emir of Kano, the elder
statesman maintained that a query should not be a cause of worry or surprise as
it is a normal process of establishing the truth in any matter.
Yakasai, however,
urged the investigators to be objective and impartial in the discharge of their
responsibilities.
He urged the emir
to go through the content of the allegations against him and provide answers to
the issues raised.
According to him,
“if someone raises a complaint against one, the correct thing to do is to give
the respondent a chance to answer and defend himself.
“Emir Sanusi’s
refusal to submit himself to their investigation would certainly not be helpful
in this case as silence both in the Common Law and in Islam is deemed as
consent,” he told Sun Newspaper.
He recalled that
part of the submissions of the Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption
Commission in its interim report was that the emir was not cooperating with
their investigation.
Meanwhile, the
elder statesman dismissed the suggestions that the Emir of Kano should resign
at this stage.
“Resignation would
surely not solve the problem as the accusations leveled against him would still
be there even if he is no longer there as the Emir of Kano,” he said.
Kano emirate: Why
Gov. Ganduje fell apart with Emir Sanusi – Garba, Commissioner for Information
The Commissioner
for Information in Kano State, Comrade Mohammed Garba, has offered explanations
as to why the Governor of the State, Abdullahi Ganduje, fell apart with the
Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II.
He also explained
the vision that informed the creation of additional emirate councils in the
state in an interview with Sun.
Garba said that the
revered monarch got involved in partisan politics contrary to the tradition of
the throne.
According to him,
“What happened actually as a result of the creation of the new emirates.. you
should remember that it was not the governor that initiated the petition. It
was a group of lawyers who felt that there was the need for them to have
additional emirate in their own area.
“And they wrote to
the Kano State House of Assembly and the State House of Assembly, from the
information available to us, read the petition or whatever submission that was
submitted to them and they felt that all the issues raised by the concerned
citizens and lawyers are serious issues that should be looked into.
“The State Assembly
decided to do their own constitutional responsibility by looking at it,
initiating a bill, did one or two corrections, went through the normal process
of the Assembly. At the end of third reading, they presented it to the
executive.
“If you remember
the pronouncement of the Speaker when they were presenting this bill to the
state governor.
“He said that they
strongly believed in the bill, that should the governor fail to assent to the
bill, they would come back to the House and use a two third majority to pass
the bill, which means that the Assembly is completely convinced.
“And they came to
the State House and made a presentation to us and the governor looked at it
critically and we felt that in the interest of the people of Kano, especially
those who are living in some of these local government areas and the rural
areas, we felt that it is something that would further develop these areas
bearing in mind that some of the local governments in our neigbouring states
like Jigawa – look at Ringim emirate for example.
“I remember when
Kano was with Jigawa State, Dutse was a hamlet. I know Duste then because I
schooled in Sumaila.
“There was no light
, there was nothing in Dutse. But when Duste became an emirate and eventually a
state, look at the level of development!
“Look at the
creation of Ringim which was the last of the emirates that were created. Go to
Ringim today and see the level of development.
“So when the late
Abubakar Rimi attempted to have these emirates in 1981 /82, if these emirates
were recognised, especially the three emirates of Gaya, Karaye and the other
one, if they were recognized by that time, believe you me, by now in terms of
development of these areas, you will be very surprised.
“Another area we
looked at was the challenges of the present day. And we looked at our own area
and the level of insecurity that Nigeria is facing today.
“We have read from
the newspapers , we have heard from the security agencies that most of the
bandits, quite a number of them, have relocated to Kano.
“And we know that
the traditional rulers have a crucial role to play in terms of checking the
movements, the access of people and what have you.
“And we felt that
in order to have an effective monitoring system of people, there is need for us
to ensure that we have traditional institutions that are much more closer to
the people than what is obtained with the centralized traditional system.
“The governor
looked at it and the issue of how they can advise him in terms of
infrastructural development, road networks, in terms of water resources , in
terms of education – we are lacking in education.
“The number of out-
of- school children is quite alarming in Kano. And we felt that these
traditional rulers have a serious role to play.
“Honestly, we
looked at all the advantages of having the emirates recognized and we felt that
there is no need to waste time. So the governor decided to assent to it.
“But unfortunately
while the process was ongoing, some people felt that there was no need to
decentralize, some people felt that there was a personal problem or even a
political problem between the Emir of Kano and the governor of Kano.
“The Emir as a
person, we believe that he has the right of choice.
“But by virtue of
his current position, he has to be cautious in whatever he is doing because he
is now a father to everybody. He is a religious leader and he is a community
leader now.
“Where there is a
problem, even if it is between the governor and some prominent people in the
state, it is the Emir that is expected to invite them and intervene.
“That is what is
meant to be the father of all. But when the Emir is partisan, practically partisan,
I think that that is the problem.
“But we don’t even
see it from that way and that is not even the reason.. We are more concerned
about the development of the state.
“Honestly, even his
partisanship has no meaning because even with his partisanship, we were able to
win the elections.
“And after winning
the election, the governor was very unhappy because there was no reason why he
should be partisan against him.
“This is because
their relationship has been very cordial. He has not offered a single advice
which the governor refused to implement.
“The governor felt
that if there was any problem, if there was any crisis, if there was anywhere
the Emir wanted changes, in terms of advice, he has a lot of access.
“The governor has a
lot of respect for him. Whenever the Emir comes to the Government House, the
governor would escort him to his car. When he comes to programs late-ideally,
the Emir should be there before the governor.
“But in most cases
the governor would be there before the Emir . And whenever he comes the
governor would stand up and greet the Emir.
“So as far as we
are concerned, whatever is due to the Emir as a father and as a traditional
ruler has been given to him.
“Even after the
election, despite the fact that we know that this man has fought us seriously,
the governor accommodated him.
“He went to the
palace twice. At a time when we were told that he was indisposed the governor
went there at a personal level.
“He went there also
for a special prayer for peace and then, he went for the weeding of 1500
couples. The governor was able to forget his partisan role.
“As far as we are
concerned we did not do it (create emirates) in order to destroy any history or
any legacy or whatever the forefathers of these Emirs built.
“We want it to be
more effective, we want to make sure that the traditional institutions are more
involved in terms of the administration of the state.”
Kano Emerate: Junaid Mohammed
states position on Ganduje’s creation of new emirates
Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid
Mohammed, says Kano Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, did the right thing by
approving the splitting of the state Emirate.
According to him, the development was in
response to the age-long desire of majority of the people of Kano.
“If the governor does not create Emirates,
who will do so,” he quipped in a chat with Vanguard.
“Governor Ganduje is simply responding to the
age-long and popular demand of the people of the state.
“He should be applauded for this bold and
courageous action, which has been widely accepted by the broad spectrum of our
people.
“Ganduje has not breached any known law by
his action”, he added.
The appointment of the new emirs – Aminu
Ado-Bayero (Bichi); Tafida Ila (Rano); Ibrahim Abdulkadir (Gaya) and Ibrahim
Abubakar ll (Karaye) – means the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi now controls
only 10 local government councils of the 44 in the state.
All Emirs would have equal powers and are to
be on same first class status as Sanusi.
Kano Emerate: Atiku’s cousin calls
on Sultan of Sokoto, others to stop Ganduje from destroying Emir Sanusi's throne
Umar Ardo, cousin to former Vice President,
Atiku Abubakar, has urged the Sultan of Sokoto, and Muslims in Kano State to
resist the creation of four new emirates by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
Recall that the governor signed
the bill which broke the Kano emirate into five, last week.
Ardo, a renowned historian and scholar,
warned that the move would destroy the caliphate, if allowed to stand.
Speaking with The Interview, a political
magazine, he accused the royal house of aiding and abetting the governor.
He said Sanusi had done nothing wrong but was
only being victimised for his outspokenness.
‘’The Sultan, all members of the caliphate,
the Muslim Ummah and the Fulbe people should not only condemn it but should
stand up against it.
“The emirates have already been created from
the time of Shehu Uthman dan Fodio. And, if you now start balkanising them, you
are just reducing the prestige and effectiveness of the emirate system. It is
the caliphate establishment that is the loser,” he said.
The scholar said Ganduje was exploiting
divisions in the royal house between Muhammadu Sanusi II, the emir of Kano, and
his cousins, to undermine the emirate and its heritage.
“Some of the members of the caliphate
establishment are themselves instigators of the problem because they are not on
good terms with their cousins who are on the throne.
“They are forgetting that they are destroying
the system of which they hope to one day benefit from. They are in fact
benefiting from it because you do not have to be an emir to benefit from the
emirate establishment,” he added.
He said although this was not the first time
the caliphate would come under attack, silence would embolden the
“bulkanisers.”
Meanwhile, Socio-Economic Rights and
Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged
Ganduje to use his good offices and position to “publicly reject life pensions
and brand-new vehicles for lawmakers bill passed by the state House of
Assembly.
Kano Emirate: Traditional
rulers must respect political authority – Tanko Yakasai reacts to Emir Sanusi throne
split
Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, an elder statesman, has
reacted to the whittling down of Emir Muhammad Sanusi’s influence through the
creation of four additional emirates in Kano State.
He said traditional rulers must learn to
respect and subject themselves to political authorities if they want to sustain
the heritage of their offices.
Recall that Governor Umar Ganduje of Kano
yesterday installed
four new emirs for Bichi, Rano, Karaye, and Gaya following a new law passed by
the state legislature splitting the Kano emirate.
However, Yakasai said the splitting of Kano
was bound to happen whether Gov. Ganduje oversaw it or not.
“Well, I think that if you can remember,
after the election of the Peoples Redemption Party in Kano in 1979, in between
that period and 1982, the government of Abubakar Rimi, with the full support of
his leader, our leader, Mallam Aminu Kano, created new emirates out of the
existing one.
“And actually, the majority of the emirates
created then were already autonomous administrative units long before the
advent of the British colonialists. For instance, Rano is older than Kano. Gaya
itself is older than Kano.
“What I am saying is that the existence of at
least two or more of the additional emirates created by Alhaji Abubakar Rimi
predated the creation of Kano Emirate.
“This event of the last few days (the
creation of additional Emirates) in my opinion was bound to come sooner or
later.
“You must cast your mind back to the factors
that gave rise to it before in the 80s. What made them to do that? Even in
Sokoto and Borno states, there is the same feeling for the creation of
additional Emirates.
“I think that the sooner the traditional
rulers in Northern Nigeria or in Nigeria as a whole begin to realize that there
is a superior authority; if people who are inferior to them in authority are
willing to submit themselves to them, they in turn should be prepared to submit
themselves to a higher authority.
“This has been the problem in Northern
Nigeria since the introduction of democracy in Nigeria. This is what led to the
misunderstanding between the grandfather of the present Emir, and Sir Ahmadu
Bello, the Sarduna of Sokoto and the Premier of Northern Nigeria.
“The trouble between both men was caused by
issue of accepting a higher authority or subordinating your own authority to a
higher authority,” he told the Sun newspaper.
On what the position of Kano elders to the
situation was before it got out of hand, Yakasai said: “I understand that some
of the elders of Kano State made representation to the governor of the state,
before it happened and his response to them was that when the Emir was showing
acts of insubordination to him and to his administration was the time that they
would have tried to intervene because they ought to have realized that the kind
of situation was bound to happen.
“This was the answer he gave them, so I was
told. And I would like to say that elders in Kano or in any part of Nigeria
should try to be objective and straightforward: Tell the truth wherever it is
necessary. Not damn the consequences, do it through diplomacy.
“There is a way you can still say the truth
without earning the anger of anybody. I think our leaders and elders should
begin to learn to talk and speak out, not when it is already too late.”
