In defence of Emir Sanusi II
Emir Muhammad Sanusi II of Kano is again shrouded in another controversy. This time his repeated comments on the socio economic turmoil destroying the extreme North have generated mixed reactions from different quarters.
There is the emergence of three camps as the outcome of the Emir’s explosive views. The first group is at loggerheads with the Monarch’s sharp criticisms because it alleges that he traverses beyond the ethics and traditional norms and values of the Emirate institution. For this school of reasoning, Emir Sanusi is a culprit and therefore guilty of denting the Emirate establishment.
Group two castigates him for what is seen as a great sin living a flamboyant life style which essentially negates the cause he champions. Example here cited is driving exorbitant cars even though it has been clarified that the deceased Emir Ado Bayero also drove in similar cars and some were offered as gifts from Emir Sanusi’s friends and associates. Yet, he is described as someone who preaches what he does not practice.
The third category firmly supports the Emir, applauds him and celebrates his radical disposition of calling a spade a spade to serve the yearnings and aspirations of the oppressed, the deprived and the wretched of the earth. This developmental camp evaluates the core North within the contextual paradigm of underdevelopment. The progressive movement argues that as a ruler, intellectual in Economics as well as son of the soil, he has every reason to speak his mind loudly, thus freeing it from the slavery of silence, hypocrisy and timidity in the wake of social devastations.
Interestingly, the disciples of this class of thought are analysing the social illnesses of the North North from the point of view of comprehensive comparison with the other geo political zones which have significantly excelled in social development. To register his protest and disenchantment as a leader, the Emir raises his voice that evokes fundamental questions for which some people are nervous.
Drawing the first question for a comparative analysis, I still recall my days as a youth Corps member in Abia State, 1998. I am still baffled at what I consider to be a typical classless society of the Igbo. I saw a determined people with a very narrow gap between the haves and the have nots. Could this social order of nearest in equality be a coincidence? Not at all! It is disheartening that our existence has been built on the pillars of class society. The repercussion is the emergence of the extreme class of the rich growing richer and the poor falling poorer.
From our poor development performance, what the Emir is rightly and timely teaching us is that the fundamental truth about our tragedy can never be suppressed. Those who want this absolute reality eliminated or relegated to the background are indeed our enemies even though they may claim jingoism for the region. Unfortunately for them, they want to bury the reality at a belated time. We have had enough of being pushed to the brink of a precipice. We celebrate a generation of high rate of illiteracy, abject poverty, chronic diseases, alarming unemployment,ndrug addiction.
But when development Sarki Sanusi produces a value message, a message loaded with facts and figures to be assessed, scrutinized and actions taken to save our future from socio economic collapse, it is sadly rendered unfit for consumption because its main content attacks the architects of our collective stagnation. Nevertheless, the Emir has launched a development forum for addressing our predicament. Unless of course if we like to live a life of chaos and anarchy.
On the radical stand of Emir Sanusi II, I wish he had been on the throne when the late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi was at the helm of affairs as Governor of Kano State. One can visualise the tremendous development that would have been recorded by radical convergence to move Kano forward. Indeed, it would have been the most glorious days of a people.
Except for the hypocrites who will definitely pay the price one day, the Emir’s controversial message is a development communication facility for sober reflections and assessments if we are to know where we are, how we came here and what we can do to reform our decadent society. Those who believe that they are fighting the Emir as an individual are deceiving themselves and making the greatest mistake of their life. One, the Monarch is not incurring any personal gains from his remarks. Two, even if he is coerced to embrace silence, nobody can dispute and alter the reality on the ground and posterity will surely vindicate him. Three, the same socio economic and political factors militating against the region which gave birth to radicals like the Saadu Zungurs, Aminu Kanos, Bala Usmans, Shehu Umars etc. shall be the same to facilitate the evolution of more radicals to question the social order.
Abdu Abdullahi, Ringim, Jigawa State, aaringim68@yahoo.com