It was a long journey that started in 1979 when Abubakar Rimi was governor of old Kano state. Although he could not achieve it before he left, 40 years after, it’s now a reality as the Kano Emirate Council has been split into four. BASHIR MOHAMMED narrates.
The background
Anyone conversant with the political controversy preceding the clamour for the creation of additional emirate councils in the old Kano state in 1979 on the prodding of the first civilian governor, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, can attest to the fact that feathers were ruffled as a result of the backlash by die-hard supporters of the late Emir of Kano, Dr Ado Bayero.
The crisis reached a crescendo when the governor sought to stamp his imprint on the premise that with its vast population and concentration of districts heads, more emirates would make the old Kano to have a fair share of the deal in terms of authority.
The agitation, according to feelers in 1979, was widely believed to be a fall-out of the heated ideological war between the late Emir Bayero and Alhaji Rimi despite being best of friends.
Those who vehemently resisted the move did so to express their loyalty to the Emir knowing that the move would reduce the revered Kano emirate and influence of the Emir.
The late Emir, therefore, continued to exert considerable influence as one of the most popular and influential monarchs in recent history as it transcended all barriers looking at the lavish manner his fellow Emirs saw him as above everyone.
Having spent more than five decades on the throne, the late Bayero had a sumptuous time with about 16 governors both civilian and military, who treated him with reverence till he departed to the great beyond and succeeded by Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 14th Emir of the ruling Fulani dynasty.
Sanusi got appointed almost to the surprise of everyone as no one had ever listed him in the chorus of those seen as possible heirs to the throne. Then governor of the state, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, appointed him as the new Emir after he was picked by the kingmakers. However, with Governor Ganduje as the new governor, he had maintained a cordial relationship with the monarch, paying the usual traditional Sallah homage while the Emir also returns similar visit without any animosity at the initial stage.
The genesis of their difference
Things began to nosedive between the duo in the wake of the spat on the federal government by the monarch on the leadership ineptitude of the president which was also extended to the state government, making the once-vibrant relationship to be frosty.
Matters came to ahead with the emirate council coming under probe by the state House of Assembly which sought to investigate allegations of shady deals perpetrated by the council which had generated a serious controversy that almost led to the deposition of the Emir in 2017.
However, the 2019 gubernatorial election which Ganduje won by whiskers revived the animosity on what political observers say is Sanusi’s loyalty to those spearheading the political down fall of Ganduje taking into cognisance the pronouncements of the Emir in the run up to the election.
It would therefore not be a surprise for the state assembly to assent to the bill that would pave way for the creation of four new emirates.
It’s long over-due – Public affairs analyst
Commenting on the matter, a public affairs commentator, Malam Gambo Makwarari, said the agitation is not new as it happened in 1979 when Rimi was in the saddle.
According to him, “Creating more new emirates is a good omen since it would create more avenues for employment and widen the horizon for traditional institutions to be widely recognised to serve as a springboard for the down-trodden to forward their grievances.”
He said, “The time has come for everyone to comprehend the simple fact that having one emirate council would never solve Kano’s problems considering the myriad of complaints coming from every nooks and crannies of the state.
“I do not belong to the most cynical class or a legion of pessimists who remain utterly conservative in their thinking that the status quo should remain. we are in need of change and change is inevitable in the way things are unfolding. It is high time we began to think out of the box and stop playing the ostrich. Kano is big and with a population of more than 15 million people, we need to have more emirate councils.
Sanusi was wrong – Kano resident
But in the words of Abdullahi Tanko of Kabara quarters in Kano, it was ill-advised for the Emir to have taken side on election matters. As a father, he was expected to be neutral. According to him, “The issue of governance should be left in the hands of the political class. Monarchs are expected to offer constructive advice whenever the need arises. I picked a hole in the Emir knowing that he is on the wrong path. Emirs were respected by those calling the shots at the top echelon of both military and civilian leadership.
“Whatever happens, to me, he is responsible for his current predicament. As one who had a vast knowledge of Islamic scholarship, he is expected to keep every politician at arm’s length.
“He has no reason to meddle in political affairs. His predecessor, the late Alhaji Ado Bayero was revered for distancing himself from politics.
“If Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi was alive, he would have celebrated this day with great pomp and pageantry for witnessing the historic day. It was what he attempted to do in 1979 but was scuttled by his successor, the late Alhaji Sabo Bakin Zuwo.”
Investigation shows that the new emirate councils is almost a fait accompli, as Governor Ganduje has already appended his signature.
Also, investigation reveals further that in places where the emirates were created, tens of thousands of people hailed the initiative which they believe is a giant stride.
Government was too hasty – Another resident
However, casting a slur on the apologists, a resident of Kano Municipal Council, Malam Saleh Indabawa, wondered why such a decision should be effected abruptly without wider consultations with Kano elders and notable opinion leaders whose intervention can assist in taking such a crucial decision.
“If at all Emir Sanusi has done something to warrant this act, his offence should be incontrovertibly proved for everyone to be convinced that he did something wrong. Even if it means deposing him, it is even better than fragmenting the powerful royal enclave. Anything short of doing this would automatically make people read meaning into it.”
However, with the present unfolding developments, Emir Sanusi appeared to have adopted a taciturn posture in sealing his lip on the issue in the face of the expectation that he would have naturally reacted in view of the gravity of the governor’s tough stance.
However, the offer of appointment to the children of late Emir Bayero in the new chiefdoms is said to have been rejected except for the one agreed by Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero as the new emir of Bichi.
The state government, on its part, had claimed that the court injunction restraining the creation of four additional emirates was issued a day after the appointment letters were given to the new Emirs, which it claimed was on May 9, 2019 while the court injunction was issued on May 10.
Ganduje justifies action
Governor Ganduje himself told anyone that the creation of four new additional emirates is not born out of any primordial considerations, rather they were created to lessen the burden imposed one single emirate council in the face of the competing demands of the people in the areas.
Addressing thousands of people who converged on the Sani Abacha Stadium including the new Emirs to thank him for the appointment, Ganduje said the idea behind the creation of the new emirates was predicated on the premise of fostering speedy economic development and the improvement of security in all the nooks and crannies of the state.
He called on the new monarchs to strive to live up to their billings as they are appointed on merit. He reminded them that the respective emirates they represent has a long history of royalty which his government found worthy of upgrading to first class.
it is an indisputable fact that this move has stirred the hornet’s nest as the die is cast between supporters of the new emirates and those who reject it.
What remains to be seen, according to observers, is what it would take to make Karaye, Gaya, Bichi and Rano an acceptable citadels of royal authority and influence in the face of the condemnation of some of the most staunchest critics of the governor’s decision who see nothing good in the fragmentation of the most dominant emirate council in contemporary history.
