KANO EMIRATE: BETWEEN FICTION AND REALITY The event that unfolded yesterday in the ancient city of Kano on the choice of new Emir to succeed the late Ado Bayero make me refresh my memory back to my social studies text book. While flipping on the pages, I stumbled on a page that attracted my attention which was Northern Nigeria. One name that repeated itself on that particular page was Sir Lord Lugard, the man behind the idea of Northern and Southern Protectorates. Though, a greater percentage of Nigerians has questioned the rationale why Nigerian should remain one entity considering the happenings in the country but as patriots we must always rise to the occasion to defend the unity of our country to avoid external attack by the enemies. This was the reason why patriots like General Yakubu Gown fought to keep Nigeria as one united entity. Though the enemies of our country are working assiduously to destabilize the peace we have been enjoying earlier by sponsoring terrorism in the country, but in no distance time, Nigeria will remain a peaceful country again. Back to Northern Nigeria of yesteryears, one name that cannot be forgotten in a hurry is Utman Dan Fodio, a Muslim scholar who led the Jihad war in Northern Nigeria. Dan Fodio was more than being influential and he succeeded in causing the war for supremacy of authority. It was Usman dan Fodio jihad war in 1805 that lead to the emergence of the Sokoto Caliphate while Kano as at then remain the largest and most prosperous province of the empire. I have listened and read commentaries and reactions on the emergence of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the new Emir of Kano and express total disappointment why some folks try to exalt the position of Emir of Kano above the Sultan of Sokoto. It is the Sultan of Sokoto that is the head and spiritual leader of Muslim and not the Emir of Kano and they have little or no influence on political decisions on who occupy what office. Sentiments aside, it is suicidal for people to embark on such trade just to score cheap political point. The Sultan of Sokoto remained the spiritual and religious head of all Muslims in Nigeria. He is the head of Jamaatu Nasril Islam, JNI and president-general of the Nigerian National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA. The choice of who succeed the late emir of Kano is the prerogative of the king makers and the governor and in this case, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has emerged, there is no cause for alarm. Those who tried to make the position of emir look like the one to decide who emerge the president of a country are out of their mind. The position of emir is just the head of the traditional ruler of that state and cannot even influence who emerge the local government chairman in his domain. The governor is the chief security officer of a state and he has the power to influence political decisions in his state. The just concluded local government election in Kano State is a typical example. So emir like every other traditional rulers in the country play advisory role and are non partisan. The emir of Kano is equivalent to the Obi of Onitsha, the Oba of Benin, the Oni of Ife, the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom, the Chairman of Traditional Institution in Akwa Ibom State, and so on and so forth. What make the emir of Kano so special? They play the same advisory role. Let me take us to memory lane. Siddiq Abubakar III was the Sultan of Sokoto for 50 years just like the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero. He was known as a stabilizing force in Nigeria politics particularly in 1966 after the assassination of Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of Northern Nigeria. A controversy developed with the death of Siddiq Abubakar in 1988 when the Nigerian military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida interfered in the succession decision of the Sultan and named Ibrahim Dasuki, a business associate of Babangida as the new Sultan of Sokoto. Large part of Northern Nigeria erupted in violent protests targeting Dasukis businesses. He was deposed in 1996 by Nigerian dictator, Sani Abacha and replaced with Muhammad Maccido who ruled until he died in a plane crash in 2006. That is food for thought for those who interfered with the issues of traditional institution. There is another dimension to the emergence of SLS that President Goodluck Jonathan must bow before the new Emir of Kano whenever he visited to campaign for vote in 2015. Those who spread such sermon are either ignorance of the power of President of Nigeria or are totally shortchanged. What of if the President visit Kano and do not visit the Emirate or do not visit Kano at all? Heaven will not fall. He has his ministers and political leaders to do all that. I think Nigerians should be more concern about the issues of good governance than to come out to the open and expressed their crass ignorance on how government functions. Governance and traditional institutions are two separate entities and should be seen as such without binding them together. Congratulation Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 03:42:44 +0000
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