President Muhammadu Buhari has been called upon to save the traditional institution in the north from being destroyed by urgently intervening in the problems between the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.
The Emir of Ningi, Alhaji Yunusa Danyaya, who made the appeal during an interview with journalists at his Palace in Ningi on Thursday, said the call became necessary in view of the unending problems between Sanusi and Ganduje.
He lamented that despite several efforts made by prominent Nigerians to settle the two parties, not much result had been recorded.
He pointed out that as one of the oldest Emirs in the north who is 85 years old and has spent 42 years on the throne, it was necessary for him to still speak out on the matter.
He said: “It has become very necessary to take this matter to our father, the father of the land, President Muhammadu Buhari. He alone, can solve this problem once and for all and he has settled difficult issues like this in the past. I know him to an extent that he grew up in the Daura royal home, so he has a relationship with that traditional institution.
“Buhari has proven to me to be a person who has high respect and regard for the traditional institution. It is because of that, that I am begging him, please, in the name of God, I beg him to intervene in the problem happening in Kano and settle this dispute between the Emir and the Governor. I have high hopes that Buhari will not allow the traditional institution be humiliated and bastardized.
“Your Excellency, Mr. President, we are begging you, for God’s sake, intervene in this matter so that every problem can be put to rest. The Emir will have his dignity, the government should also have its dignity, that is my plea.”
He clarified that “I am not speaking because I am supporting the Emir of Kano, no. I am speaking because I see that what is happening will destroy the traditional institution completely. So I feel it is necessary to speak on this matter because I am in the position to speak out on what we see is not right.”
The Royal father claimed that “whatever thing that could be done to humiliate Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Emir of Kano, has been done and there is need for restrain and forgiveness.”
He stated that he was not happy about what is happening in Kano pointing out that “when someone does something that is wrong, what we know in Islam is forgiveness and everyone does wrong and we have seen people being forgiven many times and we hear it being said that people are forgiven. If Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has erred, why would the people, the government and the House of Assembly of Kano, not forgive him?”
He recalled that he had an encounter with President Buhari in 2016 when the King of Morocco visited Nigeria and they were at the National mosque for Friday prayers.
Danyaya stated that though there were so many prominent traditional rulers, including the Sultan of Sokoto, President Buhari who was waiting for the King of Morocco to come out from the mosque, saw me, “he bypassed all protocols and came, shook me and greeted me and then went back to where he was. By doing that, he proved to me that he had high respect and regard for the traditional institution because he wouldn’t do that for just anybody.”
He called on the Emir to be obedient to the government and the government should in turn be just and fair to the Emir because “we see that injustice has crept into the matter.”
THISDAY