GANDUJE VS SANUSI : THE SORRY STATE OF OUR TRADITIONAL INSTITUTION

April 20, 1996, Late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha deposed Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki. It was like a military coup that stunned many who saw the Sultan as a symbol of the traditional stool, a just man, a respected royal father and a detrabilised Nigerian.
Many knew then, that, the junta only witch-hunted the Sultan. They spoke against the deposition of the Sultan but that singular act of 22 years ago created division in the reverred caliphate which is the remote cause of almost all the traditional troubles in Sokoto State witnessed up till date.

In the history of our beloved country we have had situations like this several times whereby our royal fathers were treated like commoners, slaves or cheap criminals. Sadly, these disgraceful and disgusting treatments are for no just or reasonable cause. Most of these shameful exercises are merely for witch-hunting purposes or needless power tussle between the political leaders and traditional rulers.

Indeed, it is only in our time that traditional rulers and their stools are denigrated, degraded and dragged into the mud. Critics say, most times it is due to the fact that some royal fathers are just royal rascals who have desecrated their thrones by soiling their fingers and eating meals meant for dogs. They (royal fathers) fuel crises in their kingdoms, make money from government through arranged peace deals and contracts at the expense of their people and fall cheap before government officials and politicians who turn around to nail them thus revealing their sins and ills to their subjects when they fall out with the latter,just to mess them up and justify such mindless acts.

But the squabble between the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II and the State governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje which has degenerated to the creation of five new emirates thus reducing the influence and powers of Sanusi has not clearly shown no faults of the former Governor of the Central Bank. The only fact that Nigerians have come to understand is that the Emir is "too outspoken and very critical of both the state and federal governments. But the world knows that Sanusi did not start his criticism with this administration. He was in the forefront of the hard knocks and tackles that pundits suggest contributed to the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 election.

Nothing best describes the recent treatment meted out on the Emir than "derogatory, demeaning and most unfortunate". It makes huge mockery of our traditional institution, our culture, norms and values as a people.

I dare ask are our royal fathers or royal institution in any way or form different from the royal family or royal institution in England where even the Prime Minister, "bows and tremble" to the royal family which is the traditional symbol of government? We have seen several Prime Ministers kneel or bow several times in occasions and events before members of the royal family including Princes Harry and Williams and their spouses.

Before we argue that the royal institution in England for instance is far different from ours here, we must equally appreciate the fact that royalty is royalty irrespective of the Nation or Kingdom. We as Nigerians should respect our royal institution. Our politicians should stop playing dirty politics with it.