26th May, 2024
PRESS RELEASE:
KANO
CRISIS: STOP GOVS FROM DEPOSING KINGS - MURIC
As the ancient city of Kano boils over the dethronement of five
emirs and reinstatement of another, an Islamic human rights organization, the
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has demanded the repeal of laws that empower
governors to dethrone traditional rulers in Nigeria for sanity to prevail.
The demand was made in a statement issued on Sunday, 26th May, 2024
by the Executive Director of the group, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
According to MURIC:
"The city of Kano is currently embroiled in crisis as the
state governor, Abba Yusuf, deposed five emirs and reinstated Emir Sanusi
Lamido Sanusi who was dethroned as emir of Kano on Monday, 9th March
2020.
"A court injunction seeking to stop the reinstatement of
Sanusi was sidestepped and the governor ordered the arrest of the emir, Aminu Ado
Bayero. But in a dramatic twist, security agencies, including the army, the
Nigerian Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) beefed up security
in Aminu Ado Bayero's palace to disallow his arrest.
"MURIC is
shocked by these developments. It is not only embarrassing but confusing and
that is to say the least as we struggle to restrain ourselves from going into
any explosive outburst. Politicians are out to debilitate, destabilize and
finally dismantle the traditional system. The governors have bastardised
the traditional system the same way they messed up the local government system
all over the country.
"The show of power in Kano in the last 48 hours are
symptomatic of a serious decay and big threat to our nascent democracy. Traditional
rulers are made victims of political intrigues and the fear of the total
collapse of traditional values hangs above our heads like the sword of
Damocles.
"It is an open
secret that governors act with politics at the back of their minds. We strongly
condemn the way and manner two governors, past and present, have turned the
revered stool of the ancient city of Kano into a tool for ping-pong game and our
traditional rulers who should be respected by the governors are now being
pushed hither and thither.
"It is not a Kano affair alone. The South West, South East and
other parts of the North have witnessed deposition of traditional rulers.
"The position of MURIC has always been that governors should
no longer be allowed to dethrone traditional rulers and we have ventilated this
campaign on several occasions ( e.g. https://theeagleonline.com.ng/muric-urges-state-lawmakers-to-save-kings-from-arbitrary-dethronement/; https://dailytrust.com/muric-seek-immunity-for-sultan-from-deposition/;
https://thenews-chronicle.com/liberate-traditional-rulers-from-the-tyranny-of-politicians-muric/).
"The naked
dance in the market place currently going on in Kano has made it more
imperative for Nigerians to rise against the excesses of governors. It is
time we demand from our lawmakers to immunise traditional rulers from
disgraceful, untimely, unnecessary and politically motivated dethronements.
This campaign should be taken up in all the 36 state houses of assembly. The
law which empowers governors to depose kings should be repealed.
"That will not necessarily make the traditional rulers all
powerful. Traditional rulers who misbehave can still be sanctioned by the
kingmakers. He can be suspended or dethroned but it will be by his own people.
The kingmakers are enough for the king as checks and balances.
"MURIC appeals to all stakeholders in the Kano imbroglio to
tread softly. They should desist from making inflammable statements.
"All sides in the saga have gone to the extreme. The
deposition of Emir Sanusi in 2020 allegedly for insurbordination was an extreme
measure. But ordering the arrest of Emir Ado Bayero after his removal is
high-handed particularly without stating his crime. Revenge is a wild dish and
the path of moderation is the path of decency. This is a democracy and the days
of l'etat c'est moi are far gone.
"While we call on Kano citizens to remain calm, we
appeal to the security agencies to avoid confrontation. Kano must not
burn."
#Kano
#ImmuniseKingsFromDeposition
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
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