The Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, on Friday enjoined President Muhammadu Buhari to call for a review of the culture of banishment and restriction of movement of Emirs in Northern Nigeria
Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin who made the call in a chat with DAILY POST, said such “archaic traditions” was not only affecting the North but Nigeria in general.
Odumakin made the call while responding to questions on the dethronement and banishment of the former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi by the Kano State government.
Recall that the Kano State government had dethroned Sanusi as Emir over his disregard for authorities.
Following his dethronement, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, was banished from Kano to Nasarawa State.
Sanusi, however, dragged the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu and the Director General of the Department of State Service, DSS, to court over his restricted movement.
Reacting, Odumakin described the tradition of banishing traditional rulers as archaic which should be reviewed.
The Afenifere spokesman insisted that such traditional was why the North was backward and not modernized.
According to Odumakin, such practice was part of the problem Nigeria is facing.
He said: “Well, I believe this is not about Sanusi alone when Jokolo was deposed as Emir of Gwandu, he was banished and kept in confinement for years.
“I think the entire archaic culture of the North should be revisited. The feudal culture that has helped the north down for years is also stopping the progress of Nigeria, this feudal culture is part of the problem Nigeria is facing.
“Without being particular about Sanusi, I will say that the idea of banishing and restricting the movement of an Emir without a court saying so should not be allowed.
“The president does not intervene in an issue like that but he should be part of the process to make the North modern. This whole act of banishing people when you are not a judge or court is so archaic, it should be reviewed wholesale.”
