Elders’ Committee Can’t Annul Kano New Emirates – Govt

The Kano State Government has said the reconciliation committee set up by northern elders cannot reverse the creation of four additional emirates in the state.

 

The state Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture, Mallam Mohammed Garba, said this in a telephone interview with The PUNCH, in Abuja, on Monday.

 

The commissioner was asked to comment on the committee set up by the northern elders to settle the dispute between the state Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, and the Emir of Kanu, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II.

 

A former Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Adamu Fika, had in a statement on Sunday, said the northern elders had set up a 10-man committee headed by a former Head of State, General Abdusalami Abubakar (retd), to reconcile the governor and the Emir of Kano.

 

According to him, other members of the committee are the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, his Katsina State counterpart, Aminu Masari; General Muhammadu Wushishi (retd); Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN, Senator Dalhatu Tafida, Dr Umar Mutallab, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, and Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh.

 

The crisis between the governor and the emir became apparent when Ganduje, in an action, which was believed was aimed at reducing Sanusi’s influence, signed the Kano State Emirs Appointment and Deposition Amendment 2019 bill into law in May.

 

 

 

The law created four new emirates – Gaya, Rano, Bichi and Karaye – thus decentralising the Kano Emirate.

 

But Ganduje had defended the creation of the new emirates, saying it was not intended to diminish Sanusi’s influence.

 

Sanusi had approached a Kano High Court, which on November 21 annulled the new emirates on the grounds that the state government did not follow the due process.

 

But Ganduje, who rejected the judgment, submitted a fresh bill on the new emirates, which was passed by the state House of Assembly and signed by the governor on December 5. He named Sanusi as the Chairman of the Kano State Council of Emirs.

 

Following the Emir’s delay in accepting the appointment, the government again threatened with a 48-hour ultimatum to accept or reject it. The emir eventually replied, accepting the appointment, late last week.

 

Also last week, the governor said he had in his possession a petition demanding the deposition of the emir.

 

On Monday, the Kano State Government maintained that the creation of four additional emirates out of Kano was a decision backed by law as such, they (the emirates) would not be abolished.

 

The state Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Cullture, Garba, said, to the best of his knowledge, the committee’s work was not to seek a reversal of a legitimate constitutionally backed action carried out by the state governor.

 

He said, “I don’t think the committee is trying to change what has been constitutionally done by government. All our respected former heads of state know the constitution and the way things are done in a democracy. If there is any error in terms of the creation of the new emirate councils they should know.

 

“As we know, the creation of the new emirates followed laid down rules and we don’t think the purpose of their intervention is to delegitimise a legitimate exercise. From our understanding, their intervention is to ensure there is continuous peace as we are experiencing now in Kano.

 

By the special grace of God, Kano is peaceful and it will remain so. To the best of my knowledge, the Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, does not have a personal problem with his royal highness, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi ll. If, perhaps, his royal highness has a problem with the governor maybe he will tell the committee.”

 

In response to a question as to when the governor will be meeting with the committee, Garba said, “The committee is aware that the governor has scheduled his trip to perform the lesser Hajj with members of his family within this period.”

 

The commissioner said besides the governor and the emir, it was important for the committee to meet other stakeholders including the new emirs.