Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi And His Democratic Rights - Prof. Boniface Egboka

What is one’s interest with the af­fairs of Emir of Kano by this Umuchu man from Aguata LGA, Anambra State? A great deal of my interest is involved. One did one’s NYSC in Kano State with the 1974/75 set. One enjoyed and learned a lot those days in Kano. Despite the Nigerian problems of today, Kano still remains a great city; she must be allowed to have peace to grow.
As a field Geologist, one roamed, then, the wild lands of Kano State with a sturdy landrover, exploring for minerals, drilling/sinking water-boreholes, supervising construc­tions of dams, water/irrigation schemes etc: the Audu Bako Dam, Chalawa Waterworks, Ha­deija Irrigation Scheme etc. One had good life and experience working under the supervision of Prof. Robert Farvolden of CIDA, Canada, and Geol. Coleb Ofoeg­bu from Imo State. Today, any good news from Kano excites me while bad ones sadden me inexo­rably. Riots in recent times from Kano distress me. For no reasons whatsoever when riots happen, rioters go after Ndigbo to kill as many as they desire; the merciless beheading of Mr. Akaluka and dancing around with his head on the street was ghoulish; the burn­ing to death of an INEC official with his family is quite horrible/despicable; the butchering of an innocent woman near her shop is criminal. Unfortunately when these criminal events occur, gov­ernments seem to do nothing; and where suspects are arrested, they are usually-released with­out punishments. Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is acceptable to the generality of the people; he is providing good services to the talakawas of Kano; is young, well-educated, quite experienced; he was ambitiously-hungry to be Emir of Kano.
According to Wikipedia, “Sa­nusi Lamido Sanusi…also known as Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, is the Emir of the Kano Emirate serving since 8 June 2014. He was crowned as Emir…by Gov. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano…af­ter the death of his grand uncle Emir Ado Bayero…Sanusi was a successful banker and was a former Governor of the Central Bank…Sanusi is the grandson of Muhammadu Sanusi (The 11th Fulani Emir of Kano)…He was a career banker and ranking Fu­lani nobleman, and also serves as a respected Islamic scholar. The global financial intelligence magazine, The Banker, published by the Financial Times, conferred on Sanusi two awards, the global award for Central Bank Governor of the Year, as well as for Central Bank Governor of the Year for Africa. The TIME magazine also listed Sanusi in its TIMES 100 list of Most Influential People of 2011 In 2013, Emir Muhammadu Sa­nusi II was born…into the Fulani Torobe (Sullubawa) clan of Kano on July 31 1961. He is the grand­son of Sir Muhammadu Sanusi, the 11th Emir of Kano…He is the direct son of Ambassador Aminu Sanusi, a career diplomat and technocrat that served as the Ni­gerian Ambassador to Belgium, China and Canada, who later served as the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Foreign Af­fairs. Sanusi had his primary edu­cation at the St. Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Kakuri, Kaduna between…1967-1972, where he obtained his First School Leav­ing Certificate…his secondary education at King’s College, La­gos, where he graduated in 1977. He got admission into Ahmadu Bello University…Zaria, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Economics in 1981. He fur­thered his studies and obtained a master’s degree in Economics at Ahmadu Bello University in 1983 and became an instructor there from 1983 until 1985. Sanusi also studied in the International University of Africa, Khartoum, Sudan, where he obtained a de­gree in Islamic Law. Sanusi was posted to Gongola State…where he did his National Youth Service Corps…mandatory service”. The Emir has also received awards for his services in line with northern Nigerian Moslem courses. He is reputed to have paid his dues.
One should credit Emir Sanusi with being consistent in his ideas/views; the religious and socio-political comments that have put him into trouble since he became an Emir are consistent with his intellectual views before becorn­ing an Emir. He has cautioned his domineering northerners to recognize the obvious change-events facing Nigeria; insisting that there is possibility of breakup or restructuring problems that may occur; that the northeast/northwest would be worse off; that poverty, ignorance and illit­eracy are their major socioeco­nomic handicaps etc. He called upon his people to realize the dire situation and look for possible solutions. Some northern leaders and Governors came out against Sanusi by ganging up. In order to hype up and worsen matters, HE Governor Ganduje of Kano State set up a Panel of Inquiry to probe the Emir and his Emirate Council over their expenditure of billions of Naira Emirate funds; the Kano State House of Assem­bly is reported to be also involved in the probe. The Emir had been talking about northern Nigerian problems before he was crowned. According to Wikipedia, he “con­tributed to the debate over Sharia law…Writing in the Weekly Trust in September 2000, he noted the problem of reconciling ‘belief in the universal and eternal appli­cability of the Shariah with the need for a wholesale adoption of its historically specific interpreta­tion to meet the requirements of a particular milieu’. He…said that ‘Even a cursory student of Islamic history knows that all the trap­pings of gender inequality pre­sent in the Muslim society have socio-economic and cultural, as opposed to religious roots.’ At a conference in 2000 in Kaduna, he argued that although collection of zakat is the responsibility of the State, it may be the responsibility of the Nigerian government rath­er than the Emirs…In July 2001 at a seminar in Abuja he took the mainstream position that zakat is an instrument for redistributing income, but argued in favor of giving the role of redistribution to the government. In October 2002 he published a paper on The Hudhood Punishments in North­ern Nigeria: A Muslim Criticism. In July 2003 he presented The Shari’a Debate and the Construc­tion of a ‘Muslim’ Identity in Northern Nigeria: A Critical Per­spective…There are two underly­ing themes to Sanusi’s position. First, Islam is concerned with delivering justice and should not be a tool for self-seeking political agendas. Second, the Wahhab­ist rhetoric of fundamentalists is counter to genuine Muslim interests. He explains that Sha­ria is not divine but merely reli­gious, and is neither uniform nor unchanging.” He ordered a war against boko haram. Nigerians must be interested on what hap­pens to the problems confront­ing Emir Sanusi and his Emirate before they get out of proportion before remedial actions are taken; sores are being allowed to fester till they form ulcers! Governor Abdullahi Ganduje should beat a retreat. Emir Sanusi should be advised to moderate the tone of his speeches/comments; but he should be allowed for his demo­cratic and fundamental rights. He should not be dethroned like his grandfather as being ru­moured to avoid possible riots, mayhem and killing of innocent people that may be the outcome; then, the Socioeconomy of the country may be adversely-affect­ed. A walk through the streets of Kano indicates that Emir Sanusi is quite popular with his people. Nigerians must be interested in having reasonable people of du­rable courage for the impend­ing/possible dialogue over the restructuring of Nigeria for our survival.
–Boniface Egboka, UNIZIK, Awka, Anambra State; E-mail: boniegboka@gmail.com