Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

A Group of concerned citizens ‘The Advocacy Centre for Development’, formerly known as Society and the Future, have warned the Kano State Assembly to exercise cautions and put on hold the review of the law establishing the newly created emirates of Rano, Bichi, Gaya and Karaye, under the immediate past administration of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

KANO FOCUS reports that the warning was contained in the letter addressed to the Speaker of the Assembly, Jibrin Falgore, and signed by the group’s Director, Ibrahim Yusuf on Monday.

Recall that there has been agitations for the review of the law establishing the new four Emirates, with a particular organization, known as Kano Electorates writing the Kano State House of Assembly to revisit the law.

Below is the full text of the letter:

The Right Hon. Speaker,

Kano State House of Assembly.

Kano State House of Assembly Complex,

Audu Bako Secretariat,

Kano,

Sir,

THE NEED TO EXERCISE CAUTION AND PUT ON HOLD ALL AGITATIONS INVOLVING THE REVIEW OF THE LAW ESTABLISHING THE NEWLY CREATED EMIRATES IN THE FACE OF IMMINENT DANGERS LIKELY TO FURTHER DESTROY THE IMAGE AND INTEGRITY OF KANO STATE AND DISRUPT THE PEACE AND SECURITY NOT ONLY IN KANO STATE BUT ALSO IN THE NORTHERN NIGERIA AS A WHOLE

The Advocacy Centre for Development formerly known as Society and the Future, is a Non-governmental, non-tribal, not for profit, non-religious, and non-partisan organization, which was established in 2008, dedicated to making local and sustainable contribution in addressing the challenges of democracy, gender discrimination, sexual and gender based violence, health, environment, promoting peace and good governance. We believe in our courage of conviction that a better society is possible, and that sustainable development can only be achieved through collective action of both state and non-state actors, we remain resolute in minding our values in all that we do

Right Hon. Speaker, we are a concerned group representing the voices of many civil society organizations, academia, democracy champions and advocates for peace and security promotion in the North and in Nigeria at large. We operate precisely in the North Eastern States of Nigeria.

We therefore write to inform you that we are disturbed by the persistent hullabaloo on the new Emirates Councils created in Kano, sometimes in 2019 by the former Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. Let me remind you that, all States in Northern Nigeria are connected to Kano State, either directly or indirectly, and therefore all social, economic and political decisions in Kano State have a tendency to affect the residents of other States either positively or negatively. It is therefore for this reason, all residents of Northern Nigeria have a moral right to speak about the happenings in Kano State, by way of sharing their thoughts with a view to help in providing advice that could help in arriving at a sensible and wise decision.

It is on this note, we wish to use this opportunity to draw your attention on the likely implications of responding to agitations to woo you and the House of Assembly, to abolish the additional emirates councils. This is because, the atmosphere is not even conducive to contemplate such action, it is ill-timed as the decision needs careful thought and wisdom, to avoid further polarization of the Traditional Institutions, create further enmity amongst the people of Kano State, destroy the little integrity left, of the Traditional Institutions in Northern Nigeria.

Right Hon. Speaker, let us put this on record that we were never in support of what the former Governor of Kano State Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje did to the original Kano Emirate, as it has grossly damaged the integrity of Traditional Institutions in Northern Nigeria. His singular action created a mess in the system which no generation in the future would forgive him. He ignited the fire of hatred amongst different royal clans in the State, ridiculed the Institutions to the lowest layer of shame and caricature in its entirety. Therefore, when a mess involving the interest of the people is created by insensible people and self -centered, the situation requires wisdom, careful thought and maturity to be handled. Therefore, a respected Institution like the House of Assembly, especially under your stewardship, should not succumb to agitations on the basis of sentiments.

Sir, our letter is informed by the love we have for Kano State, the people, your humble self and the State, to draw your attention on the imminent blunder which you would be making, and which may give the future an opportunity to write your name with a black pen, just like how the name of the former Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was written with a black pen.

It has not been long, Kano State got itself from the turmoil of imminent political crisis, and therefore

we cannot afford to use our money to invite another problem which the consequences may not be in our favour. We have a duty to allow innocent citizens to remain in peace. We believe that, you are also aware of the kind of hardship, the Nigerian citizens are passing through, let us not allow ourselves to be used to create another problem which may take away the relative peace the residents enjoy.

Yours sincerely,

Ibrahim Yusuf,

Executive Director.