SARAUTA TUSSLE:
The Debacle in Kano State
By Abdu Labaran Malumfashi
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Some time in 1980 there was a failed attempt to rescue some American refugees held in Iraq during the presidency of Jimmy Carter of the Democratic Party. The ‘Time Magazine’ of the US titled the story, which led in the magazine, as: ‘The Debacle In The Desert’, because the attempt ended with the death of eight Americans in the desert called ‘Desert one’.
The short recollection of the failed rescue attempt was only for the purpose of ‘borrowing’ some words of the Time Magazine headline to make the heading of my article.
I have never written twice consecutively on the same topic except this time. I am again writing on the Kano (State) emir-ship tussle, which was as a result of the introduction of politics into what is otherwise a ‘family’ affair.
I say a family affair because both the ‘contestants’ are from the same lineage, meaning they are related by blood or blood brothers, if you like. And in a family affair, there is no winner no loser. Everybody is a winner. Besides, there must not be more than ONE active emir in a town at a time. My last writing was titled: The Politicisation of Kano Emir-ship.
The decision to write on the same subject was NOT due to what is called the ‘writer’s block’, because I am not a writer, any way. Writers are those who write books or long, sometimes, very long essays. I only write short articles, most of which are not even researched, by the way. And one could only use them for research at their own risk, I must add.
The conflicting court orders, first issued by Justice S.A. Amobeda of the Federal High Court, Kano and Justice Sulaiman NaMalam of the Kano State High Court, have made a ‘simple’ case of ‘enthronement’ in the state of Dabo a complicated matter or, as Time Magazine would put it, ‘debacle in Kano State’.
Justice Amobeda of the Federal High Court in Kano had earlier issued out an injunction ordering the maintenance of the ‘status quo’ until the ‘determination’ of the courts. But countering him later, Justice NaMalam of the Kano State High Court has issued an order asking for the immediate enthronement of Sanusi II as emir of Kano, in his second coming as the single emir of the entire Kano Emirate.
The first case was dragged to the Federal High Court, Kano by Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan Agundi the Sarkin Dawaki Babba (the Senior Chief in charge of Horses) a kingmaker to Emir Aminu Ado Bayero. Alhaji Aminu Babba had a long court battle with the legendary Alhaji Ado Bayero and father to one of the ‘contestants’ to the Kano throne.
Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan Agundi had firstly gone to the Federal High Court to challenge his sacking as Sarkin Dawaki Mai Tuta by Alhaji Ado Bayero, the then Emir of Kano. The case dragged on to the Supreme Court, where he still lost.
The Kano State Government and the Kano State House of Assembly, were the two most powerful institutions that took the second case to the State High Court in Kano.
It is nothing but a flexing of power between the Federal Government and the Government of Kano State or, to put it in a proper perspective, a battle of power between former Governor and Chairman of the national ruling party, Dr. Umar Ganduje and his successor as Kano State Governor, Engineer Abba Kabir. Others even went beyond the Governor and saw the ‘battle’ as between Ganduje and his former boss, Governor Engineer Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.
The ‘winner’ of the ‘contest’ or whoever it might be, should therefore offer special thanks to Allah for making his emirship a reality. He is now the Kano emir for the second time. They would have course, not gladly want the sobriquet of the ‘former’ emir. They would rather be referred to as their Royal Highnesses whether in or out of office, officially.
More than anybody else, the eventual emir, not unlike the number one citizen in the state, should know that God Wants him to be for all the people of the state, and should therefore see himself as belonging to all, not just those whom he thinks are his ‘supporters’. As the emir of the Kano Emirate, all should be his ‘own’, not just a select few in the state.
He should also extend a hand of real and perpetual friendship to the other party, who should not be treated as a pariah in the entire emirate and beyond. His’supporters’ would not like it. Each of the ‘contestants’ has a legion of supporters, each of who always defends their principal and condemn the opponent with a strong passion. By the way, it seems to appear as if the ‘game of thrones’ is playing out in Kano state with every new political administration. That is not the hope of every peace loving sons and daughters of the state, any way.
More importantly, the Kano State custodian of Islamic and cultural values should maintain the dignity of the Emirate of Kano as popularised by the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, who had the word ‘taciturn’ as his middle name. He never spoke flifantly in public, until it was absolutely necessary for him to do so.
The ‘new’ Royal Highness, must live up to the standards set by the late Alhaji Ado Bayero, who was said to have hardly spoken. So were the most famous Yar’aduas, General Shehu Musa ‘Yar’adua and President Umaru Musa ‘Yar’adua, all of blessed memory. They spoke very little. But they performed well, with good results.
The new emir must never be ‘talkative’, even in public. It is not befitting of an emir of the ‘highest’ class to be so free with his mouth, even when it is unnecessary for him to express an opinion. One of the two was alleged to be too free with his words whether he was requested or now, so much so that he was given a very uncomplimentary nickname. It is not my opinion, by the way.
The new emir must not only remain just and fair to ALL the people, but must be seen to be so, and not to only the few ‘powerful’ people in the society simply because he came from one such family.
Above all, the emir must distance himself from partisan politics, and allow the politician’s, especially in Abuja and Kano, to do their ‘thing’. The Kano emirate is broadly divided into many political parties, notably the ruling party and the two leading opposition parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is therefore in the interest of all to only concentrate on the interest of his ‘subjects’.
He is living in a very slippery time and there is the possibility that another administration might be inclined towards playing another ‘Games of Thrones’. I am sure that whoever emerges as the emir knows the implication of what I said.
He must always be up and doing for his people in protecting whatever they might have or want, those which would positively impact or improve them or the society, as that is among his many ‘borderless’ duties. For instance, now being avery hot period against the backdrop of very poor performance by the power supplier in the area, it is expected that he would lend his voice in support of an improved situation. He must not fear to speak out for the people. He must tell the truth to whoever needs to be told that, no matter their standing in the society. He should have nothing to do with anti people policies as an emir.
The Kano State people are a fastidious lot, so much so that the city, Kano, has a special name referred to it by the Hausas, who call it ‘Tumbin Giwa, koda mai kazo an fika (roughly meaning: Kano, the tummy of an elephant, whatever one comes with, he will meet those who are better than him). They would protest against anybody if they feel that the person was not living up to their expectations.
Moreover, the new emir should act and perform as a leader of all, not the ruler that would be perceived as being selective in his dealing with his people. Many people saw one of them as an ‘aloof and arrogant ruler’ who was always ready to impress, but not lead with humility. He was seen as a person who was always ‘showing off’, using the ‘effected’ accent of the white man.
Most often, he was also seen as someone who did not do what he preached, especially telling the poor man not to engage in polygamy while he himself married up to four wives, and led an ostentatious life in the midst of what one might call ‘abject poverty’.
But he was allegedly said to be ‘suave and highly educated in both Islamic and Western forms of education and very rich too, but of no help to anybody but himself and the immediate members of his family; i. e. wife, children and grandchildren, despite his huge personal wealth and other resources at his disposal’.
As the saying goes, ‘to be forewarned is to be forearmed’, or, as is the case now, ‘to be advised is to be ‘careful’, because it is an advice I gave not a warning.
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Malam Malumfashi writes from Abuja.
