Emir Sanusi – A storm in a tea cup

Did I once see him at the old UBA building on the Marina in Lagos? He was wearing a brown tweed suit and was looking quite skinny. I noticed a cup of tea in his hands as he walked into an office. They said that was Sanusi and he would one day become the Emir of Kano. That was what they told me that hot afternoon. But before then, he had to go to First Bank and from there to the CBN where he caused so much tremor, and finally to the throne from where he has been deposed.

You see, I am not perturbed by the recent happening sin Kano simply because like they have told me in my Political Science classes that this is just a direct fall out of a class struggle. Struggle within the elitist enclave is characterized by a constant struggle for power. The elitist conclave is made up of various divisions – the traditional section which Sanusi represents, the political side of things where Gadunje sits and even up to the sporting arm where you will find Kanu Nwankwo. They all are brought together by the quest for power. This quest governs activities and relations that is why you will never see permanent enemies but you will find permanent interests.

Whatever be the case, I want to think that Sanusi had an over bloated believe in his pre eminence in the struggle or how do you go into a fight of this nature with only morality as your weapon? It’s like going to face a vicious lion with nothing but your bare hands believing that if you stare down the lion it will run away. You will be made mince meat and this is what has happened to our lovable Emir.

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Like in all conquests within the power vortex, gladiators usually would reach out to those of us outside the band for support. Both gladiators did same; Sanusi with his populist statements and Gadunje with his huge voter manipulation during the election. They both recognized the fact that they would need the masses behind them in this conquest and here too Sanusi failed woefully. His rhetoric’s fell on the bare floor without raising any known sentiments within the talakawas. He only went to elitist grounds to make this proclamation which appeared hypocritical especially with his grandeur lifestyle and allegations of corruption as levelled on him by the state government.

How can you be talking about the things you are talking about rolling around in Rolls Royce and really not lifting a finger to practically assist the s called talakawa you are parading yourself as champions? The message sounded hollow and was for the benefits of his fat cat friends in the dinning rooms of Lagos and other hot bed of capitalist rendezvous.

On the other hand, the state government with its huge resources and much more importantly executive powers always would have come out of this the victor.

This fight had the blessings of the neo – conservative trado-cultural branch of the elitist enclaves because Sanusi’s cries, even though hollow, also carried with it the potential seeds for the destruction of the status quo. A status quo that they all benefit from and would do everything within their powers, including throwing their errant cousin p, under the bus to maintain.

Much as I love Emir Sanusi and his hollow rhetorics, I still fail to understand why he didn’t use the influential position to better the lives of the masses around him. He didn’t build schools, provide health or any of such welfare schemes that he could have done privately and independently thereby fighting his cause in a subtle but practically effective way. Instead, he lived the life of a lord, wallowing in the splendour that was his office and turned a social critic and an activist Emir while contributing significantly to the problems of the talakawas he so much claimed to love.

This is not our business as they know how to take care of themselves. Already, he has just been given an appointment in Kaduna as reported thereby going a long way to confirm my position that this is a storm in a tea cup.

By Joseph Edgar…

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