The Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, yesterday, queried Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, giving him 24 hours to respond to allegations of misappropriation. The latest action followed the June 5, 2019 restriction of Sanusi’s sallah activities to the palace.
Ganduje’s restriction order brought to a sudden halt the 105-year-old Hauwa Nassarawa, the emir’s annual line of activities that include traditional homage to Government House, royal sight-seeing around Kano metropolis and other important places before returning to his palace.
Sources close to both parties said that Ganduje’s decision to call off the emir’s graceful outing and its colorful ceremonies was a fallout of their political disagreement in the run-up to the 2019 elections, a development that is already threatening the security architecture of the state more than two months after the polls.
The monarch has until this morning to respond to the issues raised in the query. Following a government-sanctioned probe of the emirate, the commission had indicted the Emirate Council of misappropriation of about N4 billion.
Ganduje was absent on Wednesday when the Hauwa Dauche, a presumably largest assembly of horses in Africa, turned bloody at the Kofar Kudu’s emir palace. An unconfirmed number of persons were reported dead and many sustained wounds as palace guards and local hunters confronted hoodlums who attempted to disrupt the ceremony.
A statement by Ganduje’s Chief Press Secretary, Abba Anwar, gave reasons for the Kano State Government’s actions against the emir, citing security threat, among others.
“After a security meeting that was held between governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje with all the security agencies concerning all sallah celebrations, as it is usually done, there was an intelligence report of fear of breach of peace during the upcoming event. For this reason and the intelligence report, the state government declares Hauwa Nassarawa cancelled,” he said.
“Government, however, wants residents to feel free to go about their normal sallah celebrations because security measures are on top gear,” Anwar said.
“Beyond security reasons, Ganduje might have suspended the sallah activities to prevent Emir Sanusi from out-shining the newly created first-class emirs of equal privilege,” another Government House source said: “You should not be surprised at Ganduje’s action because, for now, anything could happen. Don’t forget we have other first-class emirs now – those of Bichi, Karaye, Rano and Gaya.
Now, if the State Government allows Emir Sanusi to hold the procession and homage, it would not be just to other emirs who also have equal rights. So, as far as I’m concerned, the decision is right. The other emirs might also want to move out at the same time; and you know the implication”, a reliable source at the Government House argued.
A Kano resident, Alhaji Ibrahim Ado Kurawa, who expressed displeasure with the development, wondered why an age-long tradition was brought to a sudden end this year. “It is unfortunate, because the people are not happy with the fact that a tradition that has lasted more then 500 years is cancelled. People all over the world are in Kano as usual to celebrate with the emir on an occasion like this. But for reasons best known to the government, it was cancelled. Honestly, we are not happy,” Kurawa lamented.
