That Nigeria is poorly governed across many states is a given. The United Nations poverty index confirms that simmering tragedy. Again, the recent alleged stealing from the Paris Club refund through the Nigeria’s Governors Forum, is an indicator; so also the bogus security votes of the governors which pooh-pooh our constitutional democracy. In some states, poor governance manifests through unconscionable conversion of prime public lands into semi-private estates. Yet, others steal in foreign currencies while gallivanting across the globe in the name of seeking the so-called foreign direct investment. The list of malfeasance is legion.
But recently, Kano State governor, Umar Ganduje and his rubber stamp legislators are angling to take the gold in abuse of public power even as their state is seething in dire challenges. A few examples. According to Ganduje, in 2016: “Kano has the highest number of Almajiri and from the statistics we got, their number is equal to, if not more than, those attending formal schools.” Again, in the United Nation’s Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Kano State ranks 27 out of the 36 states of Nigeria, with 76.4%, well above the national average of 46.0%.
The index also places the North-west, were Kano is the most populous, the richest and potentially most viable, as ranking 76.8%, again well above the national average of 46.0%. Comparatively, Lagos State has 8.5% poverty index, and the South-west stands atop other regions at 19.3%. If Lagos is too high a reference even though it compares with Kano in population, what about Kogi State, with 26.4% poverty index and its North-central regional average of 45.7%, below the national average of 46.0%?
It is these scary statistics and much more that propels the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II, who is an accountant, former managing director of a commercial bank and governor of the Central Bank, to see danger ahead for his beloved people of Kano, and indeed the northern region. With little respect for population control, the population of Kano like its neighbours, continues to grow geometrically, even as it is currently a very poor state, as indicated by the index. As part of the strategy to save his people from perdition, the Emir canvases a radical change in governance models, priorities and population control.
Now, instead of appreciating the emir, the governor and his misguided minnows in the House of Assembly are asking for the head of the emir. The house, acting beyond its powers in section 128(2) of the 1999 constitution, has set up a kangaroo panel, to investigate the emir, for among other reasons, asking the governor and the legislators to stop gallivanting, and face the many challenges confronting Kano State. They are also against the emir for raising his voice against some of the poor economic policies of the federal government.
One ridiculous charge against the emir is that he sent his daughter to represent him at the third anniversary of the Bring Back our Girls (BBOG) campaign instead of sending a male person; couched as religious interference? Perhaps, their reason can only be that by their reckoning, a female, is a non-person or what? They also accuse the emir of defamation of character. In their self-serving wisdom, instead of approaching the courts constitutionally empowered to arbitrate over such accusations, they will rather turn themselves, the accusers into the judges. Yet they claim to be acting constitutionally.
From its end, the state executive is also asking for the head of the emir. According to a report, a so-called Kano Public Complaint and Anti-corruption Commission is investigating the emir for misappropriation of funds of the Kano emirate. By all standards, while we should all abhor corruption, if I may ask, what has happened to the Nigeria police, constitutionally empowered to deal with such allegations? Or is it very convenient that a commission under the supervision of Ganduje is more likely to hand over to him, the head of the emir, like that of John the Baptist?
While I have no intention to hold brief for the emir over alleged charges of corruption, I think all persons of goodwill should raise their voice to condemn any attempt to muzzle the emir, principally for speaking truth to power. The issues the emir talks about, particularly education must be addressed if the north wishes to liberate itself from the challenges confronting it. Any person fighting the emir for calling on northern leaders to invest more on classroom instead of on religion, maybe suffering from the underlying ideology of the Boko Haram.
Indeed, every person of goodwill, particularly from the northern part of our country, must wish the emir well for saying those things which the northern elite privately practice, even though some of them pretend otherwise. I am talking about girl-child education. I can bet that the governor and the legislators who are piqued by the outspoken emir, who choose to project his girl-child at the BBOG event, all allow their children, whether male or female to have access to quality education. If they don’t, then like I said, they have similar ideology as the Boko Haram, which says western education is bad, and are willing to kill for that.
For now, the only sin the emir has committed is not playing the ostrich. If his conscience allows him, he can choose to enjoy the trappings of royalty, receive adoration from these state officials and the disposed of his kingdom, smile before the cameras and pretend that all is well. After all, not being the head of the secular institution of state, it is not his primary responsibility, to provide education opportunities for the talakawas; again, it is not his responsibility to provide them employment or ensure general security when the wasting energies of the almajiris, are put to dangerous cause.
But the emir knows that the governor and the legislators will soon run their term, and for good or bad, will move on, with their gains or their loots, while if God gives the emir long life, he will be there, for the long haul with the people. Again, by his training, he knows that the chicken will soon come home to roost, if those in position of authority continue the prevailing trajectory of serving self and their cronies, with the common resources of the people. He knows that unless adequate investment is put to education, the north, will continue to lag behind, regardless of all the affirmative action of the federal government.
A post on the cut-off marks for admission into the federal government colleges, trending in the social media, confirms the unpreparedness of majority of northern children, to compete with their contemporaries. While pupils from states in the southern part require around 300 marks to gain admission, pupils from the north, need less than 100 or even zero, yes zero mark, to join the same class.
