Three months after the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, cautioned politicians in the state against acts capable of plunging the state into political crisis, the Abdullahi Ganduje administration appears to be bent on dethroning the outspoken monarch.
The state Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission has already recommended the suspension of the controversial former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over an alleged misappropriation of N3.4 billion.
The monarch had in the second week of February this year warned against plunging the state into a crisis following the resurgence of thuggery in Kano metropolis. He said the warning was also necessary in view of happenings in the state then where youths suspected to be thugs attacked innocent residents.
The alleged N3.4 billion was however, said to have been misappropriated between 2014 and 2017.
A seeming preliminary investigation report conducted by the commission and signed by its Chairman, Muhuyi Magaji, recommended the suspension of the emir and other suspects, for allegedly obstructing investigation.
The emir, tagged principal suspect, should be suspended pending the final outcome of the investigations, the commission said, insisting, ‘’this is a necessary administrative disciplinary action aimed at preventing the suspects from further interfering with the commission’s investigations.’’
It is expected that the recommendation will escalate the worsening relationship between the administration of Governor Ganduje and the emir, whose territory has been balkanised by the administration. following the recommendation of the House of Assembly to split the Emirate into five and appointed emirs for Bichi, Gaya, Rano and Karaye.
The probe was in respect of a petition of financial misappropriation levelled against Kano Emirate Council under Sanusi II.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, adding that the Emirate Council was alleged to have spent over N1.9 billion unappropriated on personal expenditures, making the total sum of the questionable expenditures.
The expenditures, according to the report, 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, pointing out that the expenditures 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).
Continuing, the report said, ‘’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 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).’’
While adding that the company failed to settle the sub-contractor, Cardinal Architecture Ltd, after being duly paid, the report 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 was concluded and legal advice accordingly issued.
