BREAKING: Ganduje queries Emir of Kano, demands response within 24 hours
NEWS DIGEST – The feud between the governor of Kano State Abdullahi Ganduje and the Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II on Thursday took another dimension, with the former issuing a query to the latter to respond to allegations of misappropriation of funds.
The Kano State Anti-Corruption and Public Complaint Commission on Monday indicted the emir and recommended his suspension.
Confirming the receipt of the query to Daily Nigerian Newspaper, the chief of staff to the emir, Munir Sanusi, said the state government sought the response of the emir within 24 hours regarding allegations of misappropriation of funds.
“We received the query today (Thursday). The state government has demanded the response of His Highness within 24 hours. The council is studying the content,” he said.
The unending drama
The Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II on Wednesday cancelled Hawan Nassarawa durbar in deference to the directive of the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, seeking cancellation of the traditional event.
Earlier on Wednesday, the state governor ordered the cancellation of the durbar, citing security reasons.
In a statement by the acting secretary of the Kano Emirate Council, the emir accepted the governor’s order, and appealed for calm.
In view of the cancellation of all the durbars, the emirate therefore set aside June 7 for a prayer session to mark the 5th year remembrance of the late emir, Ado Bayero, and 5th year anniversary of the present emir.
The cancellation may not be unconnected with estrangement between the governor and the emir.
The governor and the emir have been at dagger drawn, following the emir’s alleged support for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Abba Yusuf, in the last general election.
In order to whittle down the emir’s influence, the governor created four rival emirates in Bichi, Rano, Gaya and Karaye and appointed emirs in each emirate.
Although the governor’s action was stopped by the court, the governor defied the order to issue letters of appointment and present staff of office to the new emirs.
The charges against the emir
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According to the interim report of the anti-corruption agency, the investigation was in respect of a petition of financial misappropriation levelled against Kano Emirate Council under the present emir.
The interim report raised four cardinal issues bordering on indictments, amount involved, obstruction of investigation and recommendations.
The report indicated that the Kano Emirate Council had spent over N1.4 billion in various expenditures believed to be fraudulent and unappropriated.
In addition, the Emirate Council was alleged to have spent over N1.9 billion unappropriated on seemingly personal expenditures, making the total sum of the questionable expenditures.
According to the report, the expenditures contravened the provisions of Section 120 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 8 of the Kano State Emirate Council Special Fund Law 2004.
Similarly, the expenditures had also violated Section 314 of Penal Code as well as provisions of Section 26 of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission Law 2008 (as amended).
“It is also the opinion of this Commission, based on the available evidence, that Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II continued to undermine the investigation through various means which include giving instruction to all officers invited for clarification to shun the commission’s invitation.
“The act is seriously affecting the process of our statutory responsibility and offends the provisions of Section 25 of the Commission’s enabling Law 2008 (as amended),” the report said.
The report, therefore, recommended that the principal suspect in the person of Muhammadu Sanusi II and all other suspects connected with the case be suspended, pending the final outcome of the investigations.
“This is a necessary administrative disciplinary action aimed at preventing the suspects from further interfering with the commission’s investigations.
“The commission further recommends that the contract awarded to Tri-C Nigeria Limited for renovation of Babban Daki, Kofar Kudu and Gidan Sarki Dorayi should be revoked as the company belongs to one of the suspects in person of Alhaji Mannir Sanusi, (The Chief of Staff in the Emirate),” it said.
According to the report, the company failed to settle the sub-contractor, Cardinal Architecture Ltd, after being duly paid.
It further recommended that appropriate authority should be put in place to oversee the affairs of the Emirate Council in line with established statutes and policies, pending the final outcome of the commission’s investigations.
It also recommended that further legal action should be taken against all the suspects as soon as the final outcome of the investigations were concluded and legal advice accordingly issued.
Meanwhile, the Emirate Council is yet to react to this fresh development.
