The 14th Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi II has said that “we have a responsibility as a people to rise and improve the life of the people of this country”.
He argued that “it is no longer about the government; it is no longer about political parties; it is no longer about traditional rulers; it is no longer about emirs.”
The Khalifa of the Tijjaniya Sufi Order in Nigeria and neighboring countries in a speech at the Muhammadu Sanusi II Colloquium organized to celebrate his birthday in Kaduna on Saturday, 14th August 2021 said “we need to understand economics as people as 70 per cent of the problems we have in this country have their roots in economics.”
“Even the shouts on restructuring is about resources; we need groom this economics and make it work for the poor people,” the Khalifa said.
He argued that the days are gone when you say one class of people – whether they are emirs or civil servants – cannot talk, or they cannot do this or they cannot do that. Those days are gone. When there is a fire in your house, everybody goes and get a bucket of water.
Muhmmadu Sanusi II argued that when he criticizes he does that for the best interest of Nigeria as a country.
“Whenever I seem to criticize, I simply speak to the best of my understanding and try to say that which I think is in the best interest of the country. I have been critical of economic policies and have paid a price for it. But, you know, the real price is being paid by the Nigerian people.
“It is the price we see in increased poverty; the price we see in increased insecurity; is the price we see in the high-rate inflation; is the price we see in the loss of the value of our currency; is the price we see in the numbers of malnutrition, around unemployment, around out of school children, maternal mortality and infant mortality.
“Calling me controversial, or calling me an enemy, or calling me a critic will not make those facts go away. And wherever we go we must turn round and face those facts under reality.”
He averred that leaders have responsibility to discharge, regarding the issues of security, social and economic wellbeing of the people.
The Khalifah also expressed concerns about issues of social security, family responsibilities and Islamic personal status, saying they are matters of great interest if the north is to move forward.
“We got scholars in Kano to sit for three years to draft a Muslim code of personal status that begins to address some of these concerns. That law was ready in 2019. It has not been passed. I also sent it to the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, the Governor of Plateau, and said look, in case any state government wants it, give it to the governors. I have not heard any feedback.
“We keep talking about poverty in the north, we keep talking about Almajiri. These Almajiris, I keep saying, did not produce themselves. I keep coming to those issues. I know people don’t like hearing them, and they keep saying ‘well, you have said enough.’ No, we’ll continue to say it and say it until people get to understand.
“That if you cannot maintain one wife and you marry three; if you cannot maintain three children and you have 17; if you leave those children on the street; if you don’t educate them; if you don’t give them training; you are going to have them grow up into young men that would become a problem to our society. The youth that you see on drugs, those that go into stealing and kidnapping, they are all products of that social system. We have to ask ourselves, is this what Islam says we should have? Are these the children that Islam says we should have?”
The Muhammadu Sanusi II Colloquium is an initiative of friends and followers of His Highness Sarki Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, to celebrate his 60th birthday.
With a theme ‘Muhammad Sanusi II: An Icon of Reforms,’ the colloquium, which took place at Murtala Square, Kaduna, was well attended by dignitaries including governors Nasir El-Rufai and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Kaduna and Sokoto states respectively as well as top class traditional rulers and technocrats across the country.
Key speakers at the event include Professor Andrea Brigaglia, Professor Kingsley Moghalu, Mallam Ibrahim Ado Kurawa, Professor Tijjani Naniya and Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar.
