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Following the signing into law of the bill creating four additional emirates in Kano State, the size of the emirate under Muhammadu Sanusi II, emir of Kano, has been reduced to 10 out of 44 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.
The bill was passed by the Kano State House of Assembly on Wednesday and was sogned into law a few hours later by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. This comes amid suspicions that the idea to create more emorate councils was Governor Ganduje’s attempt to whittle down the powers and influence of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, who has reportedly become his political foe.
The new structure
Instead of the former one Kano Emirate and one Emir, the state now has five emirates and five emirs of equal jurisdiction. They are: Kano, Rano, Gaya, Karaye and Bichi.
Kano Emirate headed by Sanusi now has 10 local governments: Kano Municipal, Tarauni, Dala, Nassarawa, Fagge, Gwale, Kumbotso, Ungogo, Dawakin Kudu and Minjibir.
Rano Emirate will control 10 LGAs: Rano, Bunkure, Kibiya, Takai, Sumaila, Kura, Doguwa, Tudun Wada, Kiru, Bebeji.
Gaya Emirate has eight LGAs: Gaya, Ajingi, Albasu, Wudil, Garko, Warawa, Gezawa, Gabasaw.
Karaye Emirate has seven LGAs: Rogo, Gwarzo, Kabo Rimin Gado, Madobi, Garun Malam, Karaye.
Bichi Emirate will control nine LGAs: Bichi, Bagwai, Shanono, Tsanyawa, Kunchi, Makoda, Danbatta, Dawakin Tofa, Tofa.
According to the newly signed law: “There is hereby established for the state a Council to be known as the Kano State Emirate Council (in this Law referred to as the “Council”) which shall comprise of the entire Kano State as its area of authority.
“The Council shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal and may sue and be sued in its corporate name.”
It added that emirate council shall consist of five emirs, secretary to the state government, the commissioner for local government and chairmen of all the local government councils in the state.
Also, members of the council will be at least two kingmakers from each of the five emirates and not more than five other members to be appointed by the governor.
The law also stated that the chairmanship of the council shall be on rotational basis among the emirs.
“Nothing in this section shall preclude an Emir from any of the emirates from the contest of the Emir of Kano so long as he is an heir to the throne,” it read.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission is going ahead with the investigation of the emirate under him which can lead to his deposition.
The commission had alleged the misappropriation of N6 billion by the Kano emirate council “without the approval of the state government”.
The probe, which was halted in 2017, has now been revived.
A former official of the Kano emirate council, Isa Bayero, has been directed to appear before the commission on Thursday to shed light on the payment vouchers from 2013 to 2017.