29th September, 2023
PRESS
RELEASE:
OBASANJOGATE : LIBERATE TRADITIONAL
RULERS FROM THE TYRANNY OF POLITICIANS – MURIC
Amid
prolonged controversy over the harassment of Yoruba kings by former President
Olusegun Obasanjo, a human rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern
(MURIC), has called on the National Assembly (NASS) and state Houses of Assembly
to liberate traditional rulers in the country by repealing laws that give state
governors power to depose kings.
MURIC
made the proposal on Friday 29th September, 2023 in a statement
circulated by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The
full statement reads:
“Ex-President
Olusegun Obasanjo recently denigrated Yoruba kings at a state function in Oyo
State by commanding them to ‘Stand Up!’ and ‘Sit Down!’
“It was a most unpolished, extremely demeaning and categorically
disparaging behaviour. Obasanjo left his manners in Otta Farm the day he
attended that programme. It was a display of tramadolised
authoritarianism characteristic of most military rulers past and present all
over the world.
“By commanding Oyo State traditional rulers in that manner,
Obasanjo subjected them to public opprobrium and, by inference, he dragged all
Yoruba men and women in dirty mud. It was a most audacious, tendentious, and
egregious attitude that must be condemned not only by all Nigerians but by
every man and woman who originated from the African continent and who is
conscious of his Africanness.
“But above that,
Obasanjo’s outrageous behaviour must be seen to have gone beyond Oyo State,
beyond Yorubaland and even beyond Nigeria as a country. His provocative
treatment of traditional rulers is a heavy slap not only on Nigerian culture
but also on the collective identity of black Africa.
“By logical extension, Obasanjo has shot a poisonous arrow into
the heart of the institution of monarchy all over the world. Nigerian traditional
rulers are also symbols of kingship everywhere else. From Britain to Canada,
from Norway to Spain, from Cambodia to Thailand, from Denmark to the
Netherlands and back to Africa from Morocco to Swaziland, Obasanjo has
committed infra dignitatem. He has offended the world and degraded
humanity.
“MURIC therefore backs
calls for the retired general’s apology. But this provocation must be escalated
particularly because Obasanjo himself has remained recalcitrant. He must
therefore be made to realise the implications of what he has done. This retired
general must apologise to all traditional rulers in Nigeria, in Africa as well
as to kings throughout the world. He must apologise to humanity at large.
“Besides, there must be worldwide condemnation of his unacceptable
behaviour towards the crown. Failure to tender unreserved apology to the whole
world should attract peaceful protests against his presence at any event anywhere
in Nigeria and abroad. No Nigerian who values his tradition must sit with him
at any table.
“Anyone who invites him to his or her event must be prepared to
face the embarrassment of guests leaving because of Obasanjo’s presence.
Nigerians must not stay in the same hall with this arrogant ex-soldier. Our
culture, tradition, norms and values tower above any uniform, be it military or
police. African youths must embarrass Obasanjo each time he travels abroad.
“We call on foreign embassies of countries who cherish kings and
honour them to deny Obasanjo entry visa. We also implore such countries to
declare him persona non grata. This man must be completely marooned until
he apologises profusely.
“The Muslim Rights Concern is concerned because even the
Glorious Qur’an commands obedience to constituted authority. It says, ‘Obey
Allay and the Prophet and those in position of authority’ (4:59). Kings are
also in position of authority to a large extent. The Shari’ah also recognizes custom
except where it conflicts with the oneness of Allah. This is why Muslims also
respect traditional rulers.
“The Glorious Qur’an
also gives kings a special status as people enthroned by Allah. It describes
Allah as the King of kings who enthrones whoever He wishes as king and removes kingship
from whoever He desires (Qur’an 3:26). This presupposes that respect must be
given to kings by all and sundry, by presidents and governors, even by serving
and retired generals.
“But there is more to Obasanjogate than
mere apology. Nigerians must put on their thinking caps and ruminate on what
gave Obasanjo the temerity to assault the traditional instituition. His repugnant
action must be traced to the deliberate debilitation of the traditional stool.
“Don’t
blame Obasanjo alone. Nigerians have long thrown the traditional crown to the
dogs. We weakened royalty and strengthened democracy. We took the whip from the
kings and gave the guns to soldiers and politicians. That was what we did when
we enacted laws that empowered governors to depose our traditional rulers.
Nobody does that and goes scoot free.
“Those who forget their sources always
regret doing so. Obasanjo must be regretting his action already. That is why he
now embarks on a daily tour of palaces to prostrate all over the place. He is
like a sick man whom the priest asked to say ‘To’ to get healed. Instead of
just saying a single ‘To’, he retorted, ‘How can I say to, to, to, to, to, to,
to, for ordinary healing’, Well, he ended up saying seven ‘tos’ but received no
healing.
“Obasanjo was the greatest beneficiary
of our general juvenile delinquency which, in forgetfulness of our great past,
we tagged democracy. We empowered the politicians and weakened the kings.
“Exempli gratia, Section 38 of the Obas and Chiefs Law of
Lagos State empowers the governor to suspend or depose an Oba. The governor must
also approve an Oba before he is installed.
“That is why Makinde
is using that power according to his whims and caprices. The name of the
Alaafin nominee picked by the Oyomesi has been on his table since November 2022
but he has not announced him because his eyes are on someone else. This is one
example of how Nigerian governors abuse their executive power on traditional rulers.
They have become the Alpha and Omega.
“Another example of our draconian laws is Section
6 Cap 26 of the Laws of Northern Nigeria which empowers state
governors to depose traditional rulers. The axe has fallen on many traditional
rulers as a result of this excessive power given to politicians over the kings.
“In the South East, Anambra State governor
recently deposed three traditional rulers. In the South West, Chief Obafemi
Awolowo dethroned the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Adeyemi Adeniran in 1955, for hobnobbing
with an opposition political party. The Olowo of Owo, Sir Olateru Olagbegi, was
removed in 1969 by Governor Adeyinka Adebayo.
“In
the North, the former governor of Kano, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, removed Emir
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi ostensibly for breaching Section 13 of the Kano Emirates Council
Law 2019. The most irritating, most complicated
and most dangerous was the dethronement of Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki on 20th
April, 1996 because by so doing, the governor of Sokoto, had removed the leader
of all Nigerian Muslims.
“It is nauseating that even an ordinary local government chairman
can give orders to the king in his area. He can also issue query to him. No
traditional ruler must travel outside his local government without getting
permission from the local government chairman. It is as bad as that.
“It is not yet Uhuru even if Obasanjo apologises in Oslo
(Norway) in the morning, in London in the afternoon and in Morrocco in the
evening. We need to go to the root of the matter if we are really interested in
protecting the dignity of our traditional rulers. We must not treat the
symptom, we must deal with the cause. No experienced firefighter will turn the
hose towards the smoke. The real fire must be his target. Obasanjo is mere
smoke.
“At the root of it all and the real fire which must be
extinguished is the colonial factor and a political class bent on sustaining
the current neo-imperialist mentality. What many did not know was that it was
the colonialists who first weakened the powers of traditional rulers by
introducing enabling laws for their deposition. Awujale Fidipote fled Ijebu Ode
to Epe on self exile in 1883 to avoid dethronement by the colonial governor. Many
traditional rulers were dethroned during the colonial period.
“This proves that dethronement clauses in our laws are inherited
from the colonial masters. It is unAfrican. Traditional rulers were not deposed
in our culture in the past unless they committed sacriledge. The colonialists
embedded those laws in order to diminish our culture. Why must we continue to
don the garb of colonial mentality? It is time to emancipate our kings from the
hawks and agents of neo-imperialism.
“The
solution lies in liberating traditional rulers from the tyranny of politicians
by using the same political and democratic process to take the power of
dethronement away from governors. This will be the holistic approach to solve
the menace and the excesses of state governors.
“MURIC therefore
charges state lawmakers in Nigeria to rise to the occasion. Our Obas, Emirs and
Obis are the custodians of our tradition. They are the very quintessence of our
customs and our norms. Whoever rubbishes them has diminished our essence. They
are the embodiment of our values. You are the only ones who can save them from constant
embarrassment from power-drunk political charlatans.
“Those draconian laws targeted at our
traditional rulers must be repealed as quickly as possible. Laws like Section
38 of the Obas and Chiefs Law of Lagos State, Section 6 Cap 26 of the Laws of
Northern Nigeria and Section 13 of the Kano Emirates Council Law 2019 must go.
“The Herods in government houses must be
stopped from messing up with our traditional rulers. MURIC is waiting for the
first state assembly that will bell the cat. Who will champion the revolution?
Who will save our traditional rulers? Where are the ‘Speaking Speakers’?”
#DethronementLawsMustGo
#StopDeposingTraditionalRulers
#ObasanjoMustApologise
Professor
Ishaq Akintola,
Executive
Director,
Muslim
Rights Concern (MURIC).
