Sanusi vs Ganduje: Kano indigenes reject new emirs, ask Sultan to denounce emirates

Some concerned Kano Indigenes and civil society groups have forwarded a strong position paper to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, to urgently denounce the new four emirate councils created by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State.

This was as the four newly appointed Emirs of Karaye, Bichi, Rano and Gaya were asked to quickly resign their positions to allow for peaceful redemption of already damaged reputation and integrity of the long-established traditional system of Kano.

Speaking Monday at a press conference by about 92 concern high-profile Kano citizens and over 20 civil society groups, AbduRahman Baffa Yola, who chaired the conference, wondered whether the creation of the new emirates would provide solutions to the socio-economic challenges in Kano.

He said, “Today, available data shows that Kano harbours more than two million Almajiris roaming the streets without tangible and sustainable intervention to checkmate the ugly situation, and reliable statistics has indicated that there are more than three million five hundred thousands unemployed youths in Kano.

Yola added that “there are more than two million girl children who do not attend formal schools in Kano, while there are well over five million people who do not have portable drinking water”.

The groups also highlighted that Kano State currently has the highest maternal mortality rate in Nigeria with also the highest school dropouts, while classes are congested with 150 to 200 children per class.

“And there are today well over seven important bills not passed at the State Assembly that includes: Kano State Security Trust Fund Law laying for six years, Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law 12 months, Child Rights Acts Bill 24 months, Procurement Law Bill 6 years and many others, but the the Assembly just woke up on the 12th May 2019 to pass the Bill of Emirates creation sponsored by one Ibrahim Salisu Chambers,” they said.

The groups continued, “What was the need for the extraordinary and accelerated passing of the two laws in Kano within the 48 hours just after another controversial bill for the granting of life pensions for the Principal Officers of the State Assembly was passed, was it one of the trade-offs as alleged by some?”

Baffa Yola stressed that if the intention of the government was genuine, why were the Kano Emirate Council and the kingmakers not involved or consulted on the processes of creation of the new emirates.

They therefore called on the government to recognise the prominent position and crucial role that Kano emirate has played for centuries and scrap the newly created emirates “which only serve as a source of division and destroy the monolithic identity which gives us a strong sense of stability and inspires others as well”.

The group also urged the Nigeria Police to play its role constitutionally in enforcing the rule of law by ensuring full compliance with court orders generally and particularly as ” we are alarmed by the current administration increasing disregard for due process, exhibiting culture of impunity ignoring court orders”.

“The Sultan of Sokoto, being the protector of the traditional heritage should denounced the four new Emirs, Emirates which were created with a myopic tendencies, and the Kano Elders and stakeholders should rise in unison in condemning what happened,” the groups demanded.