Ahmadu Bello TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP When some formidable opposition in the North (particularly in Kano, Borno and Plateau) favoured the abolition of the traditional institutions for meaningful developments to emerge in the North, the Emirs and Chiefs wanted the status quo of power that they had before the arrival of colonialists maintained. Contrary to these two positions, Ahmadu saw the traditional rulers as symbolic of the past of the people they represented and their significant role in the ‘new north’. He believed however that such ‘status quo of power’ could no longer reside in the traditional authorities in the face of a new emerging political structure. Rather than sway to either side of the two parallel reasoning, Ahmadu, as Regional Minister of Works, began a reform process of the Native Authorities in 1952. Ahmadu was known to have a lot of respect for traditional institutions but favoured reforms for both Muslim and non-Muslim chiefs in the north by encouraging these reforms, therefore, acting in dual capacity as a regional leader and a potential traditional leader. His legitimacy among the traditional leaders was related to his family ties to Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio, this however did not belie the antagonism he faced from the Emirs and other traditional Chiefs regarding the reforms. Although, the Sardauna did not subscribe to the abolishment of the institutions, he wanted to democratize and modernize them to suit evolving northern values. His objective was to keep the north together, hence his truism “one north, one destiny”. By taking this step, the North had significantly moved away from what it used to be with respect to local administration in establishing and strengthening provincial administration to provide a link between the regional government and the local governments, thus giving more autonomy to the province and moderating the powers of traditional institutions. This was also a time when depositions of some traditional leaders were witnessed and likewise successions by those with a flavour of western education to blend with the demands of a new northern era; this made the northern traditional institutions to start following a more “democratic” mode; separating the institution from the incumbent. Ahmadu Bello was thus projected as a blend of the past and the future; a go-between as it was, between the traditional and modern authorities.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 21:49:42 +0000
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