May Allah Bless Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II: The Northern Governors Now Listen to Dethroned Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

When the news of the removal of the emir first broke, some were amazed, while so many others saw it coming and to either be amazed or agog depended on which school of thought you belonged regarding the altercation that has gone on between the outspoken Emir and the Kano state government.

The hue and cry that greeted the removal of former Emir of Kano, Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from office is yet to die down in some quarters. Many perceived that the dethronement had a lot of meandering which are not even farfetched.

An Emir Who Was A Sharp Contrast From The Norm

Ideology: He was the first highly westernized, educated person to assume the throne.

Linguistic: He was the first multilingual emir in Kano, speaking fluent Arabic, English and French in addition to Hausa, his mother tongue.

Lineage: He was the first person in the Ibrahim Dabo (1819-1845) dynasty to inherit the throne through his grandfather.

Articulation: He was intellectually versatile, articulate and outspoken, ready at any given opportunity to engage on topical issues. These ranged from Shari’ah to economics, international finance, Almajiri (child begging), the education of girls and gender equality.

Views: His views on many issues were radical, modern and secular in orientation.

After Sanusi’s dethronement, the government gave its own account of what transpired. The government’s account contradicted the reasons given by the former Emir himself. All these are now in the history books.

Many people believed that the identity of the former Emir cum former CBN governor has remained unshaken as he preached similar ideals through his career both in the corporate world and during his time as emir.

Sanusi Had Always Been In Stormy Waters 

Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria

During his time as the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Sanusi ran into stormy waters with political authorities between 2009 and 2014. He was removed from office by then President Goodluck Jonathan after a confidential document made its way into public domain in which Sanusi alleged that $20 billion of oil revenue had gone missing under the president’s watch.

 As Emir of Kano

According to the Kano state government as reported by BBC.

The government said former Emir Sanusi was removed "in order to safeguard the sanctity, culture, tradition, religion and prestige of the Kano emirate", accusing the emir of "total disrespect" of institutions and the governor's office.

Since the emir and governor fell out, Mr Sanusi has not attended state functions and official meetings, which the government said amounted to "total insubordination".

The emir's refusal to appear before a panel investigating allegations of corruption against him also did not go down well with the government.

He was accused of selling property and mismanaging funds but he secured a court order stopping the probe.

Sanusi Admitted That He Is Controversial

At a 2018 conference in Kano, where protocol required Sanusi to represent both himself and the Sultan of Sokoto, Sanusi half-joked that “anything I say that is not controversial comes from the Sultan, but anything I say that is controversial comes from me.” 

The ideals Preached By Former Emir Sanusi

Some of the ideals that the former emir represented were made known through his speeches at various public gatherings. Some of these ideals I will mention here.

Sanusi Said “If it’s religious law, it’s a religious law. I get a lot of comments from the west on polygamy. But let me give you a different perspective. In Britain today, you can have relationships with any number of women. You can have six partners. If they agree and you’re not forcing them, you are not committing any offence. But if you decided to marry them, you’d go to jail. I don’t understand that. If a society does not criminalize adultery, it has no business criminalizing polygamy,”

24 January 2020 at the maiden convocation of the federal university, Gusau, Zamfara state.

In another statement, the former CBN governor said:

“It’s a total misconception of Islamic law for people to think that you have the right to marry more than one wife and not be able to maintain them. It’s not a blank cheque. You can’t just produce children and leave them on the streets begging and out of school,” 24 January at the maiden convocation of the federal university, Gusau, Zamfara state.

Former emir Sanusi also spoke on the prevalence of drug abuse especially in the northern part of the country:

“We have youth bulge and youth unemployment. We have a drug problem. And it’s all come from, I think, a collapse of family values,”

18 February 2020 in Kaduna during the 60th birthday celebration of Governor Nasir El-Rufai

He also expressed his views about the salary structure of the legislature:

“If the salary of each member of the National Assembly was divided into two, it would go a long way to provide more jobs for 70,400 jobless Nigerians at between N90, 000 and N92, 500 monthly salaries.

“Where is the change? Change should start with the National Assembly. A senator receives N36 million monthly. If this is divided into two, it comes to N18 million. The second half of N18 million can be used to create jobs for 200 Nigerians, each earning N90, 000 monthly. When you multiply 200 people by 109 senators, this will give 21,800 Nigerians gainful employment. In short, 200 Nigerians will be able to live a comfortable life on half a senator’s monthly salary. Nigeria has 360 members in the House of Representatives. Half of their salaries can employ 48,600 Nigerians who can live comfortably. “So, the Buhari Administration can employ 70,400 Nigerians with monthly salaries ranging from N90, 000 to N92, 500. This is just by dividing the salaries of senators and representatives,” 12 February 2018 in a statement addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari.

On the Almajiri system in the northern region of the country

 “We have been talking about almajiri for over 30 years. Why are people having family that they cannot maintain? Why are people marrying wives that they cannot maintain? The condition is that you are able to provide for your family.

“Instead of having many children, why not have the ones you can cater for? These are the fundamental questions we should ask ourselves. Most of these children roaming about the streets will be adult in the next 20 years and they will be the ones recruited as political thugs by the politicians in the next twenty years, if we don’t take good care of them now.

“This is my own advice that we must look at. These are not religious issues; they are social issues that need to be addressed”.

Mr Sanusi gave this advice while speaking at the opening of the 108th edition of Islamic Vacation Course (IVC), organised by the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) Zone B, held at IVC Permanent Camp, along Lagos-Ibadan expressway in Ogun State. “If we continue this way, about 40 per cent extremely poor people will be in Nigeria. Poverty in the South West is 20 per cent, in the North, it is 80 per cent, Lagos is 8 per cent and Zamfara, it is 91 per cent.

The Government of Kano state listened to former emir Sanusi by banning Almajiri system

One of the very many things that former emir Sanusi spoke against is the Almajiri system in the north. His speech on polygamy and the resultant Almajiri formed part of the issues that led to his removal from office as emir. Suddenly and shamefully, those who removed him are now listening.

On 27^th May, 2020. The media broke the news of Kano state government banning the Almajiri System.

According to premium times, the governor’s spokesperson, Abba Anwar said that “If Almajiri teacher thinks he cannot accept the new policy he has to leave the state,” he said.

“When Almajiri are caught begging, it is not only that beggar is caught, but his parents or guardians. Such parents or guardians would be taken to court to face the wrath of the law,” Mr Anwar quoted his principal as saying in the statement.

According to the statement, the governor announced the decision during the launching of Basic Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) and Distribution of Offer of Appointment to 7,500 volunteer teachers, held at Sani Abacha Stadium.

This is just one out of the many ideals preached by the former emir. How many more will be adopted by the state government. If the former emir’s ideals are now making sense, then what is the need of removing him in the first place?

Time will tell. 

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