POWER AND PIETY: LIFE AND LEGACY OF SIR MUHAMMADU SANUSI I
POWER AND PIETY: LIFE AND LEGACY OF SIR MUHAMMADU SANUSI I
By:
Nurudeen Dauda
November 17, 2017
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All is set to launch a book title Power and Piety: Life and Legacy of Sir Muhammadu Sanusi I. Permit me to say that in this part of the world we need more of both autobiographies and biographies of our leaders past in order to understand and appreciate their roles while in office. It is a political culture in the Western world that leaders write about their stewardship in order to explain their "actions" and "inactions" while in power. We are eagerly waiting for the book which will hopefully be revealing and educative.
I notice with serious concern that it is only very few among our leaders that write "books"on their stewardships and even the few ones that write books the books use to be very elitist (very expensive ). I herewith humbly appeal to your Highness the Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II being the grand son to late Emir to make sure that the book is affordable to almost all. I also suggest that the book be donated to the libraries of all our Universities and public libraries.
Emir, Sir Muhammadu Sanusi I was the 11th Fulani Emir of Kano from 1953-1963. The son of Emir Abdullahi Bayero. He was a powerful Emir that had substantial influence in the colonial Northern Nigeria . He hosted the Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Kano in 1956. Emir Sanusi was born to the large family of Abdullahi Bayero , Emir of Kano, among his brothers was Emir, Ado Bayero. He was educated at Kano Middle School. Prior to becoming Emir, Sanusi held the title of Ciroma Kano.
He was born in 1905. He had his early Islamic education while he was very young and he was educationally ahead of most of his colleagues, he also attended the provincial school. Muhammadu Sanusi was the District Head of Bichi and he was given the responsibilty of coordinating the rural districts. His office was very influential in the Native Authority Administration. He became a member of the Northern Region House of Assembly in 1947 he was a member of the Regional Joint Council. He was also the first to be appointed Regional Minister without Portifolio in 1952 (Paden 1973: 233).
Politically Sarki Sanusi was instrumental in the formation of the NPC. He brought many groups into the NPC, especially traders and young western educated elites. He had earlier helped the Sardauna when the later had problems with the Sultan of Sokoto Sir Abubakar III. He also ensured Sardauna’s election as the President General of the NPC. Sarkin Kano Muhammad Sanusi was in fact the strongest supporter of the NPC and they relied heavily on him (Paden 1986: 145-154 and 457).
Sarkin Kano Sanusi was re-appointed Regional Minister without Portifolio in 1956. He also acted as the Governor of Northern Region from May to July 1961. Most of the senior members the NPC in Kaduna resented Sarki Sanusi’s influence. The Native Authority administration under Sarki Sanusi was said to have taken a loan of 600,000 pounds and used it to establish the Bompai Industrial Estate the first in the province. As a result of this foresight Kano now has the largest concentration of privately owned industrial establishments in northern Nigeria and that was without the encouragement of regional government and later the federal government.
Meanwhile there was no love lost between the regional politicians and Sarki Sanusi. They felt he was too independent and he regarded them as his subordinates or subjects. Political intrigues were mounted to eliminate him. The power tussle between him and Sir Ahmadu Bello the Sardauna of Sokoto is believed to have resulted in his dethronement and confinement in Azare in 1963.
Sir Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi I retired to Azare where he remained and later during the second Republic, he was moved to Wudil near Kano where he lived until his death in 1990 and he was buried in Nassarawa Palace where his grandfather, father and uncle were buried.
May God bless Nigeria!