A District Head of Bebeji Local Government Area of Kano, Haruna Sanusi, has resigned his appointment less than 48 hours after the installation of four new emirs in the state. Sanusi’s resignation on Monday was in reaction to the installation of heads of new emirates by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and his loyalty to the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi. The traditional leader cited “health ground and recent changes in the emirate system” as reason for his resignation.
The state now has five emirates: Kano, Rano, Gaya, Karaye and Bichi. All Emirs would have equal powers and are to be on same first class status as Sanusi. The new heads include Aminu Ado Bayero, son of late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, who is the pioneer emir of the newly established Bichi Emirate.The Emir of Gaya is Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulkadir Gaya; the Emir of Rano is Alhaji Tafida Abubakar Ila, while the Emir of Karaye is Dr. Alhaji Ibrahim Abukakar ll.
As it stands, Kano emirate headed by Sanusi has 10 local governments: Kano Municipal, Tarauni, Dala, Nassarawa, Fagge, Gwale, Kumbotso, Ungogo, Dawakin Kudu and Minjibir. Rano emirate will control Rano, Bunkure, Kibiya, Takai, Sumaila, Kura, Doguwa, Tudun Wada, Kiru, Bebeji while Gaya emirate has Gaya, Ajingi, Albasu, Wudil, Garko, Warawa, Gezawa, Gabasawa LGAs.
Karaye, Rogo, Gwarzo, Kabo Rimin Gado, Madobi, Garun Malam LGAs will be under the Karaye emirate.
Bichi emirate will control Bichi, Bagwai, Shanono, Tsanyawa, Kunchi, Makoda, Danbatta, Dawakin Tofa, Tofa local governments.
But Wudil indigenes have appealed to the State House of Assembly and the government to revisit the creation of Gaya Emirate Council under which they have been grouped. Alhaji Yawale Muhammad-Idris, spokesman of the indigenes said they would rather have a Wudil Emirate than be subjugated to Gaya Emirate Council, one of the four emirates created by law. “We cannot afford to exist under Gaya Emirate,” he said.
In the alternative, Muhammad-Idris asked the government to return them to Kano Emirate Council, where he said the people rightly belonged. He made the call after a stakeholders’ meeting on Sunday in Wudil, headquarters of Wudil Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. According to him, the current arrangement is not backed by historical antecedents and is of no benefit to the affected communities. He said the stakeholders’ meeting was attended by various groups of indigenes of the LGA pointing out that Wudil town has a different historical background from Gaya.
According to Muhammad-Idris, during the Jihad of Shehu Usman Danfodio, Wudil was one of the five royal hubs that were presented with flags. He said that the Wudil people are not happy with the new arrangement. “If Wudil LGA will not have a first class emir, we prefer to remain under Kano Emirate. ‘’So for God sake why should government demean us by grouping us under Gaya instead of merging us with the Kano Emirate with which we have the same historical relation? We reject this arrangement” he said.
Dr Baba Sani-Wudil, the secretary of the group also said government did not consult with the people of the area before grouping them under Gaya Emirate, describing the arrangement as inappropriate. “You can find out, neither our representative at the House of Assembly nor any elder or member of National Assembly was consulted on the issue.” He said the group would present its grievances to the state government and the State House of Assembly.
