SULTAN: CCN President cautions Northern Governors against politicisation of traditional institutions

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

“In order to know the present, you must know the past and have an idea of what happened in the past in order to be able to predict the future. In light of the above, the Sultan of Sokoto is not just regarded only as a Monarch of Sokoto State, but also a Supreme Islamic Leader in the whole country who commands respect beyond the shores of Nigeria.”

The Sokoto State incident whereby the Governor, Mr. Ahmad Aliyu, attempted to amend the Sultanate Council Law to pave him the way to whittling the powers of the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, may have entered into the notice of the wider Civil Society Organisations (CSO) in the country, as Concerned Citizens in Nigeria Nationwide says time politicians stop interference in traditional institutions.

The CCN spoke in a statement sent to The DEFENDER on Sunday June 30, 2024 weeks after a retired Army General proffered the United Kingdom model of government, where all royalty affairs including disciplinary actions, selections and appointments are initiated and completed within the royalty system only for the king of queen to inform the government later for official formalisation and the government has no right to question how the process was done.

This the General, vast in the knowledge of British royalty and government system, would be a better solution to the problem of interference in traditional institution by the political class, which has been causing communal crisis in Africa’s most populous country.

Sending a word of caution, the CCN said, “Northern Governors should desist from the act of trying to politicialise the traditional institutions in order to achieve their selfish ambitions and desires. Politicians should  stay away from traditional institutions and desist from unnecessary interference in the defined system of Leadership of the traditional institutions In Nigeria in order to have an effective discharge of responsibilities by the traditional rulers.”

In the statement signed by National President of the Concerned Citizens of Nigeria, Comrade Chinda Jabani, the group demanded justice for the Sultan as he called on the Sokoto Governor, Ahmad Aliyu, to respect the important office of the Sarkin Musulumi of Nigeria for what it is, office of leader beyond Sokoto State spreading across Nigeria and beyond.

Comrade Chinda Jabani said, “Nigerian politics takes place within a framework of a Federal and Presidential Republic and a representative democracy, in which executive power is held by the President. In Federalism as a system of government practiced in Nigeria, and in every Federal system, we have the three tiers of Government”, and he listed Federal, State and Local governments.

He said, “Traditional institutions belong to the third tier of government, which is the local government,operating under the state government which is the second tier of government, in regards to this, Governors should desist from the act of altering the laws of the state assemblies, just to suit their political ambitions and greed.”

As a result of interference into the affairs of traditional institutions, the CCN President said there have been kingship tussle in some parts of the country, which he said “has resulted to nothing but high tense of insecurities and fear of the unknown.”

He reminded the political class now struggling power with monarchs of Nigeria, who are the closest and most useful to Nigerians at the grassroots that, “Traditional institutions have been in existence for thousand of years and are duly respected and obeyed. Interference of politicians in the system will tamper with believes, customs and traditions of the followers of the traditional institutions.”

He “strongly” frowned at the removal of a first class chief in Rivers State just as he has done against the current “move by the Sokoto State governor to undermine the powers of the Sultan of Sokoto. I see this as an attempt to tarnish the good image of our traditional institutions.”

He said, “In order to know the present, you must know the past and have an idea of what happened in the past in order to be able to predict the future. In light of the above, the Sultan of Sokoto is not just regarded only as a Monarch of Sokoto State, but also a Supreme Islamic Leader in the whole country who commands respect beyond the shores of Nigeria.

“I hereby make an appeal to the President of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the National Assembly to urgently take all the necessary steps to avert the unlawful and unnecessary measures to prevent further embarrassment of the traditional institutions and their rulers in Nigeria. The recent happenings portray a bad image of Nigeria to the outside world.”