SPLITTING KANO EMIRATES : THE DILEMMA OF OUR EMIRS
SPLITTING KANO EMIRATES : THE DILEMMA OF OUR EMIRS
By:
Nurudeen Dauda
May 8, 2019
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There is a powerful move to split the largest, richest , populous, and the powerful Kano emirate into five emirates of Kano, Rano, Gaya, Karaye and Bichi. Is it to get at an individual, or politics, or it is long-overdue? It appears that the best way to last long on the throne as an emir or a chief is to "keep quiet" on governance issues no matter what.
Our traditional rulers are in serious dilemma of whether to be "puppets" or "to speak truth to the power that be" . Many people often criticize them for keeping "quiet "or "mute" on the issues of bad policies or, programmes or Insecurity or, unemployment, and or bad governance. They are often accused of being"yes men" to the powers that be just as their forefathers were once accused of being to the white men.
Emir Sunusi's background has been that of a public intellectual, an activist, a writer, a critique and a public commentator who has'nt properly adjusted to that of a subservient role . As far as I know, Emir Sunusi's trouble with Governor Abdullahi Umar Danduje began soon after he criticized the Governor's Light Rail project publically.
It took the intervention of some powerful Nigerians to stop his alleged dethronement sometimes ago. As if the matter was laid to rest, there come the politics of 2019 to which the emir was accused of partisanship. Perhaps the power that be thought that, the best way to get at the emir this time around since he might still be saved by the powerfuls , should any attempt be made to dethrone him is by splitting his powerful Kingdom.
We saw in the past how those who dared the authority lost their thrones.The late Khalifa, Sir Muhammadu Sunusi (I) of blessed memory, the late Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki also of blessed memory and Emir Al-Mustapha Haruna Jakolo etc.
For millennia there were 14th very powerful Independent Hausa Kingdoms or states in Northern Nigeria which embraced Islam in around the 13th century. The 18th century Jihad of Shehu Uthman Ibn Fodio changed these powerful states to the Fulani Emirates system headed by emirs. They continued to remain very powerful. Before the Colonial conquest of the 19th century, the Emirs in their domains were very powerful, they posses the Executive, Legislative and the Judicial powers of their emirates.
The truth of the matter is that, with the Colonial conquest of the 19th century and the subsequent local government reforms the emirates were brought under local governments supervision, the once powerful emirs, completely lost their powers.
It is on record that the late Emir Alhaji Ado Bayaro in his fifty years on the throne had had a running battle with the late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi and Dr Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso.
In my view, the government should not target an individual for its decision, but it should look at the implications of the new emirates critically in order not to jeopardize the unity of the Kanawas. We are all witnesses to the divisions created by emirateship in the areas of struggles for projects, appointments and rotational power struggle elsewhere. There could also be the implication of creating additional financial burden to state.
I am convinced that under the present arrangement our emirs should not be partisan if they want to last long. Any emir or chief who dares to "criticize" or disagree with the constituted authority will certainly loss his powers.
May God bless Nigeria!