AREWA AGENDA – A pronouncement by Secretary to Kano State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, on March 9, 2020, signalled the end of the road for Emir Sanusi’s reign as the 14th Emir of Kano. But the sage that ‘there is no smoke without fire’ set many observers forth to unravel the cause of the tension between Kano’s traditional and democratic authority in recent time.

Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II is somewhat an enigma to some, a gadfly to some, garrulous to some, ostentatious to some, an alarmist to some, a reformer to some, amiable to some, a hero to some, an inspiration to some and idolized by some.

Trust Nigerian political space where perception trumps intention. For alerting the nation that $20bn was missing in NNPC as CBN Governor, Sanusi was dubbed an opposition figure by then ruling PDP sympathisers. And in suing for peace and calling for fairness in the 2019 Kano state gubernatorial election as emir, Sanusi is dubbed an opposition figure by the now ruling APC sympathisers -too much castigation of a man who had expressed his aversion to participating in politics unequivocally.

From Sanusi’s antecedents as a nonconformist to servitude and subservience, several people picture him as a square peg in a round hole in the kingship of Kano. For Sanusi II, it’s better to damn the consequence and set the record straight, than to bootlick while the people and the nation sink deeper into the abyss.

At a time there is dearth of courageous men from the North who can advocate necessary adjustments culturally, educationally, religiously, matrimonially, economically and politically, Sanusi stood out and his words reverberates across the North, eliciting thunderous uproars, debates and reflections.

Cynics easily dismiss Sanusi’s admonitions as monotonous while he harps on the need to have a rethink towards societal ills impeding Northern Nigeria’s progress, to them, such ills do not warrant deliberation upon, but should be cherished as a source of pride, how vague a reasoning!

As one of the custodians of Northern heritage, Sanusi utilised his throne as a vantage point from where he seeks to awaken a people in deep slumber, oblivious of the dangers in their domain. Not even the weight of traditional demands could muffle Sanusi, he utilised the throne to amplify his message in any gathering his presence and speech is sought after, a man of his pedigree is indispensable.

Perhaps his acquaintance with the connotation of figures and statistics as a trained economist makes him perturbed anytime these figures are indicating the movement of the North off cliff. He quotes these figures in order to spur leaders and followers to do the needful to avert looming disasters – this may have irked the very people who ought to make necessary adjustments for the better.

It was providence that underlines his ascension and descent from the throne, as he reiterates in that legendary response to his fate, that only God gives and takes power. Glad the court finally freed him from the supposed banishment further aimed at tormenting and gagging him. He sacrificed the pinnacle of his dreams for his conviction. For Sanusi, it is a new dawn, but who will pick up the gauntlet?

@zhanghina