R-E-V-E-A-L-E-D-! Gov Aliyu’s amendment process aims to whittle Sultan’s powers, desecrate Sultanate Council, NGO insists

By KEMI KASUMU

“The Sultan has the right to appoint District Heads, Village Heads and all Traditional Title Holders in Sokoto State and any attempt to amend the law and subject such rights to the approval of Sokoto State Government, is to politicise the Sokoto Emirate Council appointments which would surely destroy the enviable and valuable tradition of the people of Sokoto State.”

A Non-Governmental Organization, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG), took a swipe Tuesday on the Sultanate laws amendment embarked upon by Governor of Sokoto State, Mr. Ahmad Aliyu.

It called it executive recklessness and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevail on the governor and the Sokoto State House of Assembly to take caution over their on-going move to amend the laws.

This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the National Coordinator of the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, which latest release puts it on same line with prominent Nigerian groups and personalities who have refused to believe the state government’s denial that it has no ulterior motives, by the execitive Bill, to whittle the powers of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and subsequently depose him.

“The motive behind the amendments is to whittle down the powers of the Sultan in exercising his rights as the Sultan of Sokoto and desecrate Sultanate Council.”

It countered the statement by the state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Nasiru Binji, during a post public hearing session press briefing Tuesday that Sultan has no powers to appoint anybody, saying Sultan not only has the right to appoint anybody but also that he has the right to appoint District Heads and Village Heads.

The Group maintained that “the Sultan has the right to appoint District Heads, Village Heads and all Traditional Title Holders in Sokoto State and any attempt to amend the law and subject such rights to the approval of Sokoto State Government, is to politicise the Sokoto Emirate Council appointments which would surely destroy the enviable and valuable tradition of the people of Sokoto State.

The on-going Sokoto Emirate Council amendment by the Sokoto State House of Assembly could escalate the insecurity problems the Nation is currently facing; that is why its calling on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop Governor Ahmed Aliyu from proceeding on the amendment process and withdrawal totally the amendment bill.”

The Group described Governor Aliyu’s amendment process as executive recklessness, political rascality and disrespect for the highest Traditional Institution in the country.

The Media Group therefore called on the Governor’s Political Mentor and Former Governor of Sokoto State Senator Aliyu Magatakadar Wammako to halt what the Group called ‘nonsensical administration’ going on in Sokoto.

MMWG wondered how a State Government could be denying in the Media a process it embarked upon, wondering what Governor Ahmed Aliyu would gain by reducing the power of the Sultan other than destroying Sokoto Caliphate which does not belong to the people of Sokoto alone but entire Muslim Ummah of Nigeria.

“It is high time the Federal Government realised the fact that any Government that launches attack on our Royal Fathers and respected traditional institution in Nigeria, is launching attack on the entire Nigerians and this must be resisted at all costs.

“The on-going traditional amendments in Sokoto State is capable of excerbating religious, political and security tensions in the Country and the time to act is NOW”, the Media Group concluded.