SANUSI- LAMIDO SANUSI IS NEW EMIR OF KANO, DEAL WITH IT?

Icheoku says who the constituted authority in Kano decided to make the custodian of Kano emirate is entirely their prerogative and no Nigerian, especially non Kano indigene, should be seen to butt into a purely private affairs of Kano people. To this effect therefore, Icheoku congratulates the Kano people and their new emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi on the seamless transition of authority just few days after the former emir passed on. The transition process was matured, it was expedient and it was well-oiled; and luckily too, unlike some parts of Nigeria where succession process takes an untoward toll on the people including sometimes protracted decades-long court battles, it took only FOUR men, within forty-eight hours, to midwife a new emir for Kano. The feat is highly commendable. Icheoku says it does not matter whether the Kingmakers were bought-over, bribed, cajoled or intimidated into signing off on an already anointed candidate, what is paramount here is that just within a few days after the demise of the previous emir (three days to be specific) a new emir emerged. The job of choosing a new emir was done, completed. 

icheoku says as to whether the emerged emir is the candidate of choice every Nigerian would have made or preferred, in view of his antecedents and history and record, the jury is still out; but Icheoku second-guesses probably not? Icheoku says this question and answer is actually mute because the emir of Kano is not answerable to the whole Nigeria and therefore it does not behove the entire country to elect or select him or in any other way have a say on who becomes the emir. The emir of Kano does not exercise authority all over Nigeria and therefore those Nigerians not within his jurisdictional area of influence or control should not bother about what does not concern them. Icheoku says if you are not his subject and amenable to his policies or laws, you should just butt out. So, Nigerians have nothing to fret about that in the process of selecting or choosing the new emir of Kano that Sanusi Lamido Sanusi emerged victorious. All Nigerians can do now that Kano people have made their choice, is to keep their eyes wide open to make sure that the new emir confines himself and authority within his domain ONLY and does not in any way overreach himself or overtly extend his authority, period. 

Icheoku says the choice of such controversial figure as the new emir of Kano, especially to succeed an emir who was mourned by all Nigerians as a de-tribalized, patriotic, welcoming and non-bigoted Nigerian father figure, is rather befuddling; except to say it may be in furtherance of an agenda only known to a select few? Icheoku says appointing as a new emir, a man fingered in the hacking to death of Gideon Akaluka for being seen with a torn page of the Koran must be keeping Igbos of Sabon Gari sleepless in Kano, oblivious of their fate under this not-so-loving-Igbos emir? Icheoku says appointing as a new emir, a man seen by many as an Islamic zealot must have startled so many Christians, who are rightly wondering now what is the new direction in the thirsty uneasy relationship between the two religions' adherents in Nigeria? icheoku says appointing a man so steeped in Sharia and Islamic doctrines, that he introduced Al-Baraka or Sharia compliant Islamic Banking during his tenure as Central Bank Governor, a position that is supposedly secular, must be sending shivers in the spines of non Muslims of Nigeria, who are at a loss on the next possible move on the chess board of this new emir? icheoku says appointing as the new emir of Kano, a man so enmeshed in his Islamic upbringing and beliefs that he comes to office as the then CBN governor, fully turbaned; and you wonder what becomes of all and every person visiting or living in Kano under his emir-ship and whether there would be an Islamic dress code introduced therein? 

That SLS has temper and has a diarrhea mouth is a fact and Icheoku wonders whether he will not in one of his temper tantrums, do or say something capable of throwing his domain or even the entire country into a burning furnace? Icheoku queries, does SLS has the temperament and discipline to be in charge of an emirate as big as the Kano emirate and how far would he go to reprimand those who had hurt or injured him on his way to the top? Query, does SLS has the capacity to be a father to all who call Kano home, without isolating them according to their religious beliefs and suspected loyalties? 

Icheoku has no authority over the appointment of the emir of Kano just like millions of other Nigerians who are neither the four kingmakers or the governor of Kano State, but proffers that the Kano emirate should have been spared of the controversies of a man still under investigation by the authorities and whose passport is still seized by the authorities and whose stewardship at the CBN is still under the microscope for profligacy and squandermania? But who is Icheoku to have an opinion in the manner and ways Kano State and its emirate work or to have a say in deciding who their next emir should be; but millions of Nigerians are watching to see if all the cases against the now emir are dropped, closed and his passport returned to him? If that happens, then the entire world would be amazed at how certain positions of authority in Nigeria provide a cannon fodder and immunity for suspected crimes, leading to the question, should the appointment has been made in the first place in view of his circumstance? 

This leads further to the question, did Team-Jonathan do all they could possibly have done to preempt the appointment or were they slapped in the face with it? Icheoku queries, were Baba Iyabo to still be in power, could a SLS not in his favored book, scaled through with the appointment? Icheoku asks, were Baba Iyabo to still be in power, would a disfavored Kano State governor been so blatant with choosing someone as asymmetrically opposed to the president to become the new emir of Kano? Some of these questions are not answerable at this time but suffice it to say the appointment of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as emir of Kano, just within mere three days after his tenure as Central Bank Governor officially expired on June 2nd, despite his suspension and being placed under investigation, is a big SLAP on the presidency, who could not and was unable to influence the outcome.

But be that as it may, was SLS qualified for the new office? The answer is an emphatic YES, being a lineal member of the emir-producing family of Kano emirate and therefore well pedigreed. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was the son of a former emir, who happened to be the senior brother of the now late emir, hence a nephew to the departed emir Ado Bayero.  It is also instructive that the now late emir succeeded SLS's father after he was deposed in 1963 for falling out with the then controlling authority in Northern Nigeria, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello, who was then Premier of Northern Region. So conversely, if SLS's father was not deposed, SLS could still have inherited the emir stool by directly succeeding his father, instead of now succeeding his uncle. It is also worth noting that SLS married his cousin, a daughter of the now late emir, so by marriage as well as by blood, he is well anchored to the emir-ship. 

Finally the good news wary Nigerians can take from this appointment is that the wind blew to reveal the pants of the reverend father or the fowl's yaash as some people would say. The appointment of a mere mortal that has been the cynosure of the public for quite sometime now demystifies the emir of Kano's throne, which has been perceived prior with a bigger than thou awe. Nigerians can now place the emir of Kano in his rightful place - a mere banker that is turbaned and partially masked, instead of a revered man that is near immortal facade that has been synonymous with the emir of Kano. So, with Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the emir of Kano is afterall a human-being and its "godlike" authority would be lacking under his tenure. The other seemingly good news too is that possibly some day a head of state who does not like the choice of SLS, might rise up to depose him in like manner as Dasuki was thrown out of Sokoto Caliphate or Sultanate by Sani Abacha, to make way for a direct descendant of Ado Bayero to step in as emir of Kano, like Maccido with the Sultanate? Thereafter, it will be prayers that an Obasanjo-incarnate president will not subsequently emerge to kill the installed emir of Kano in a plane crash like Maccido and then appoint a favored retired army man in his place like Saad Abubakar? Icheoku says it is just a game of thrones being played by Nigerian chess players and so will it go on and on until thy kingdom come. 

With our assignment now done that issues may be ventilated, Icheoku says "Hail to the chief, the Dan Majen of Kano and now the new emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Congratulations SLS and may your tenure progressively add to and not subtract from that of your predecessor in the development and oneness of Kano and Nigeria in general. Icheoku says may whatever you believe in. guide and protect you through your reign Insha Allah. Nigerians, we have a new emir of Kano and his name is Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, hurray!