Emir Sanusi should stop behaving like radical varsity teacher — Senator Marafa

The senator representing Zamfara Central Senatorial District, Kabir Marafa, in this interview with PUNCH, describes the recent public utterances of the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, as unroyal

What is your reaction to the war of words between Governor Abdulaziz Yari and Emir Muhammad Sanusi on the issues affecting the outbreak of meningitis in the country?

As an individual, I stand on the side of truth. The action of the emir is unroyal kind of. The position he is occupying qualifies him to meet and discuss with any leader, in any part of the world not only in Nigeria. He is expected to offer meaningful advice that would be respected and taken seriously. However, when he is offering such advice on the pages of newspapers, it becomes useless no matter how desirable.  He is no longer the radical university lecturer he used to be nor the radical whistle blowing activities he engaged in as a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria. The governor is also wrong to have ascribed the outbreak of meningitis to the sins committed by the people.

Are you saying that the emir has no right to speak on public issues?

Even if what Emir Sanusi is saying is correct in some aspects, the approach he adopted to say it is very wrong and his message, no matter how well intentioned would be misconstrued and this would worsen the situation. He is a royal father; he should learn to summon any leader going astray to his palace and reprimand him privately instead of going to the media always to express his views. He should learn how to play his role as a father because in the entire northern region today, the emir of Kano is regarded as the father of all the religious and political leaders in the region. He is expected to provide an enabling environment where the northern elite would  listen to him and make use of his advice, not that he will take any action that would make people rebel against him. It is out of place for anybody no matter how highly placed, to join issues with a whole emir of Kano on the pages of newspapers if he has done what he is supposed to do.

What do you expect him to do?

If he had called Governor Abdulaziz Yari to his palace to correct him, that he should not have attributed the outbreak of meningitis to the sin of fornication, nobody would have attacked the emir on the pages of newspapers. If Emir Sanusi had corrected the governor within his palace behind closed doors, the governor would not have had the audacity to speak ill of the highly respected emir of Kano. If he attempted it, his own people would call him to order and ask him to apologise. That is the role the emir is supposed to play not to reduce himself to a mere whistle blower or a radical commentator. When a traditional ruler joins issues with a politician, they will disrespect him and join issues with him too. Emir Sanusi knows that there is no governor in the North or any part of the country that he would invite to his palace that would turn down his invitation. Why did he not explore that channel?

But the Emir also said that the northern leaders wanted to silence him by asking him to stop making public statements.

Nobody is trying to silence him. What we are saying is that he is derailing from the tradition laid down by the former occupants of the throne he is sitting upon now. People are saying that his frequent public statements could make him lose some respect from those who placed him in high regard. What the emir is doing with his constant public statements is counterproductive. If he continues like this, people will not take him serious and would not heed his advice. Apart from the issue involving him and the Zamfara State governor, the emir should refrain from expressing his views publicly on any issue relating to northern Nigeria generally. He is no longer a whistle blower or a radical university lecturer. If he invites the governor for a private chat and the man declines, the electorate would show him the implication. We respect our traditional leaders who also double as religious leaders in the northern Nigeria that is why we won’t be comfortable when any of them is trying to denigrate his stool through whatever action. When an emir is joining issues with a political leader, he is already denigrating the stool he is occupying. Emir Sanusi should allow the wealth of his experience and the dignity of his office to bear on his subjects instead of allowing everybody to talk to him anyhow.

But the emir is saying that the northern leaders are against him because they are conservatives and would not tolerate any elite who holds a radical view on issues

The message of the emir on the issue of poor socio-economic development of the northern part of the country is partially correct but the manner he adopted to pass his message across is unacceptable and it is counterproductive. As a royal father, he should find a better way of communicating with his people. He is occupying an exalted throne that has placed him in a position to address the various problems affecting the northern region but he should communicate appropriately with the people who will join him to address the problems. He is one of the fathers of the leaders in the region. He should not play politics or try to impress anyone.

( Punch)