REBUTTAL OF SANUSI’S MUSON CENTRE SPEECH BY AFRICASTALLESTMAN

The former Central Bank Governor, and Emir of Kano His Royal Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II speech, on November 19, 2009, titled: ‘We’re all victims of colonization,’ made at the Muson Centre in Lagos during the launching of the book “Nigeria, Africa’s failed asset?” by Sir Olaniwun Ajayi.
THIS SPEECH HAS BEEN RESURRECTED FOR REASONS BEST KNOWN TO THE PEDDLERS. IT TAKES A SOPHISTIC APPROACH TO NIGERIA’S PROBLEM. THE EMIR IS ONLY INTERESTED IN SELF-PRESERVATION AND UPHOLDING OF THE STATUS QUO.

EMIR MUHAMMADU SANUSI:
“Let me start by saying that I am Fulani (laughter). My grandfather was an Emir and therefore I represent all that has been talked about this afternoon . Sir Ajayi has written a book. And like all Nigerians of his generation, he has written in the language of his
generation.”

AFRICASTALLESTMAN:
How many non-Fulanis are emirs in Northern Nigeria? Is there a constitutional provision mandating that only Fulanis can be emirs in the North or is this an offshoot of feudalism and hegemony after the Sokoto Jihad?

EMIR MUHAMMADU SANUSI:
“My grandfather was a Northerner, I am a Nigerian. The problem with this country is that in 2009, we speak in the language of 1953. Sir Olaniwun can be forgiven for the way he spoke, but I cannot forgive people of my generation speaking in that language.”

AFRICASTALLESTMAN:
The problems of Nigeria have not changed but the language may have changed.

EMIR MUHAMMADU SANUSI:
“Let us go into this issue because there are so many myths that are being bandied around. Before colonialism, there was nothing like Northern Nigeria, Before the Sokoto Jihad, there was nothing The Fulanis exploited the disarray amongst the Hausa to conquer and subjugate them turning them into slaves in their own land. The Fulanis may have invented divide and rule, later copied by the British like the Sokoto caliphate. The man from Kano regard himself as bakane. The man from Zaria was bazazzage. The man from Katsina was bakatsine. The kingdoms were at war with each other. They were Hausas, they were Muslims, they were killing each other.”

AFRICASTALLESTMAN:
The Fulani exploited the disarray amongst the Hausa in subjugating them and turning them into slaves in their own land. The Fulanis did not invent divide and rule. The British were practicing divide and rule in India for half a century before Usman Dan Fodio.

EMIR MUHAMMADU SANUSI:
“The Yoruba were ljebu, Owo, ljesha, Akoko, Egba. When did they become one? When did the North become one? You have the Sokoto Caliphate that brought every person from Adamawa to Sokoto and said it is one kingdom. They now said it was a Muslim North.”

AFRICASTALLESTMAN:
The Yoruba share a common language and culture, so they are one. Siblings of the same parentage do fight. Does that change their inheritance?
The North was built around Islam following the Sokoto Jihad. It is essentially a Muslim kingdom and Sharia is the law in 12 Northern States. Is there any Christian Emir in the North? You have Muslim and Christian Obas in the South West. This confirms that the North is intolerant of other religions.
Boko Haram has been destroying churches and killing Christians. Is this the new jihad in the North? The Fulani herdsmen are extending the Sokoto jihad to the Middle Belt and the South.

EMIR MUHAMMADU SANUSI:
“Whether it is in the military or in the civilian government, they sit down, they eat together. In fact, the constitution says there must be a minister from every state.”

AFRICASTALLESTMAN:
All the powerful ministries such as defense, agriculture, finance, water resources, mines and power, petroleum, education, telecommunications are the preserve of the North.
President Muhammadu Buhari does not give a f… to federal character. The Igbos are nonexistent in his Fulani mind because lgbos are not Muslims.

EMIR MUHAMMADU SANUSI:
“So, anybody that is still preaching that the problem of Nigeria is Yoruba or Hausa or Fulani, he does not love Nigeria. The problem with Nigeria is that a group of people from each and every ethnic tribe is very selfish. The poverty that is found in Maiduguri is even worse than any poverty that you find in any part of the South.”

AFRICASTALLESTMAN:
The North controlled by the Fulani has ruled and stolen more of Nigeria’s money than any other part of Nigeria. The poverty in the North is traceable to its feudal system. Arabic and Islamic education supersede western education. The alms system and child marriage results in so many fatherless babies that turn into beggars and criminals.
The Northern States gets more money than the Southern States except the oil producing Southern States. The inflated Northern population made up of foreign Fulani herdsmen gives the North an advantage in Federal Funds Disbursement. Foreign Fulanis roam Nigeria under the guise of cattle rearing and vote in Nigerian elections. The North has not been transformed because of poor management exacerbated by little or no education.

EMIR MUHAMMADU SANUSI:
“The British came for 60 years and Sir Ajayi talked about few numbers of graduates in the North (two at independence). What he did not say was that there was a documented policy of the British when they came that the Northerner should not be educated. It was documented. It was British colonial policy. I have the document. I have published articles on it. That if you educate the Northerner you will produce progressive Muslim intellectuals of the type we have in Egypt and India. So, do not educate them. It was documented. And you say they love us (North).”

AFRICASTALLESTMAN:

The mainly Northern Fulani Elite preferred Arabic and Islamic education for the masses to keep them subjugated. The hypocritical British went along with this policy to keep the Feudal Lords happy.
India is a predominantly Hindu country. Emir Sanusi should have used Muslim Pakistan where the Taliban are killing students and forbidding girls from going to school.
After independence in 1960, why did the north not ramp up education or did the British continue to dictate the education policy of the North?
Children of the Northern elite were educated in the very best of institutions in Nigeria and Overseas.
Richard Bourne wrote in the book “Nigeria: A New History of a Turbulent Century”: “British fear of public disaffection in the North linked with most emirs’ dislike of un-Islamic ideas at a time when they had many wives and concubines, and the difference between ex-slaves and slaves was not so obvious. As one author comments, seeing the 1930s as a period of conservatism, ‘the system of providing western education to Northern peoples had, right from inception, been decidedly guarded in order to maintain the status quo, to ensure development on ‘native lines’ and to prevent the bringing up of a generation of rebels as in the South'”.
Sanusi also failed to mention that the policy of preventing western education was not extended to the offspring of the Fulani aristocracy, like himself and his father.

Emir of Kano Sanusi: It was deliberate British policy not to educate northerners

EMIR MUHAMMADU SANUSI:
“I have spent the better part of my life to fight and Dr. (Reuben) Abati knows me. Yes, my grandfather was an Emir. Why was I in the prodemocracy movement fighting for June 12? Is (Moshood) Abiola from Kano? Why am I a founding director of the Kudirat Initiative for Nigerian Development (KIND)?”

AFRICASTALLESTMAN:
The reasons for joining the democracy fight are best known to Emir Sanusi. Is it possible that he wanted to know the inner workings of the movement? In crunch times, Fulani interests trump democratic interests.
Babangida and Abacha were not Fulani. Could Emir Sanusi be harboring a dislike for Babangida and Abacha for overthrowing Buhari, a Fulani? Emir Sanusi knows how to bail out from a sinking ship. He was used to install Buhari but turned against him when the populace felt disenchanted with his policies.
Sanusi was sectional as central bank governor. He is not a nationalist.

SAINT SANUSI!

EMIR MUHAMMADU SANUSI:
“There are good Yoruba people, good lgbo people, good Fulani people, good Nigerians and there are bad people everywhere. That is the truth. Stop talking about dividing Nigeria because we are not the most populous country in the world. We have all the resources that make it easy to make one united great Nigeria. It is better if we are united than to divide it.”

AFRICASTALLESTMAN:
Nigeria may not be the most populous country in the world but it is the most diverse with over 250 different ethnicities and the most corrupt politically. Nigeria has the resources, which has been distributed amongst the elite mostly Fulani without any bidding.
The North – Fulani – has monopolized key sectors of the Nigerian economy and 80% of the oil blocks have been allocated to Northerners – Fulanis. Eighty percent of Abuja was allocated to Northerners. Is the North 80% of the country? You want Nigerians to be united so the stealing can continue.
During the military rule, one Northern individual had a monopoly on all essential commodities imported into Nigeria. That monopoly continued under subsequent civilian administrations. That individual is now the richest man in Africa. He is Fulani and he has no investments (factories) in the South East. Is that your formula for unity?

EMIR MUHAMMADU SANUSI:
“This is a great message to our generation.”

AFRICASTALLESTMAN:
Africastallestman’s message is to restructure Nigeria and get rid of the freeloaders, murderers, and parasites.

EMIR MUHAMMADU SANUSI:
“Are we truly ready to develop and unite Nigeria?”

AFRICASTALLESTMAN:
No, Nigeria can never be developed or united under the current system. Did the Fulanis unite the Hausas or divide and rule them? They divided the Hausa to subjugate and rule them, but this formula is bound to fail this time around. The time for restructuring is now.