Don’t silence Emir Sanusi, NBA President cautions northern elites

As controversy continues to trail the stance of the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, on societal issues including marriage and education in Northern Nigeria, the President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Abubakar Mahmud, has cautioned against moves to stop the Emir from making public statements.

Mr. Mahmud, who spoke when the emir opened a new laboratory building at the Aminu Dabo College of Health Science and Technology, Monday, pleaded with Northern elites to listen to the advice of the emir.

“Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi ii is a great transformational leader whom I adore,” the senior advocate of Nigeria said. “His positions on issues that border on marriage, education and divorce are ones that should be listened to and allowed sound reasoning to translate and put an understanding on them; not to bash them.”

“I plead with the community and elites to allow an atmosphere of wisdom and discourse to thrive not to try and silence voices that are contrary to their views”.

Mr. Mahmud said allowing the positions of the emir on the topics to prevail was the best way to tackle the problems bedevilling the north and indeed the nation.

Mr. Sanusi has in recent times called for increase in girl child education, marriage equality, and regulation of marriage to more than one wife for men who cannot afford it.

While speaking on Monday, Mr. Sanusi said since his emergence as Kano emir, he has been collating data on issues relating to marriage and child birth.

“Every child that is being born in Kano today through the hospitals and even those that are known by my district wards and village heads are well known to me because I have since created a monitored control mechanism that gives me these data,” he said.

He also restated his call for girl-child education.

“The people need to prioritise their commitment toward the education of female just like their male counterpart. ‎

“We appeal to everybody, especially well- meaning individuals irrespective of party differences, to provide the environment to aid girl-child education,” he said.

He called for teaching of critical health related subjects in Nigerian languages including Hausa.

Aminu Dabo, the owner of the college, said the institution enrolled 450 new students for the 2016/2017 academic sessions in various programs including dental technology and pharmaceutical technology.

He said 80 per cent of the institution’s student population were women.

Mr. Dabo added that the school would collaborate with the Kwara State University and another university in Malaysia for degree courses.

He said his plan was to convert the college into a university.