I hope Lamido Sanusi will now head up a think tank which draws up national targets and sets down markers regarding what we have to achieve as the world’s largest black nation

By Ayo Akinfe

(1) I have always regarded Sanusi Lamido as wasted in his role as the emir of Kano. Kind of similar to Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, the Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland who is one of Nigeria’s brightest economists ever. Oba Aromolaran wrote the most widely used economics textbooks in Nigeria. When we have our sharpest minds holding feudal positions created by our former colonial masters to administer indirect rule, we have a serious problem

(2) Let us not delude ourselves, in 2020, Nigeria has no business with traditional monarchs. If we have a thriving democracy with the local, state and federal governments functioning properly, there is absolutely no need for the continued use of 19th century feudal institutions

(3) When the British arrived in Nigeria, they only met about six monarchs but alas, they created hundreds. These feudal leaders were appointed to collect tax and to govern the new colony according to the dictates of British indirect rule

(4) Frederick Lugard hated African intellectuals, so despised educated Nigerians. Lugard therefore chose to empower traditional monarchs to undermine the educated nationalists who were clamouring for independence

(5) As a safeguard, Lugard educated the children of traditional rulers to ensure that power remained in the hands of this elite post-independence

(6) Were we a thinking people, when we became a republic in 1963, we should have scrapped all the monarchies the British created. Maybe keep just one per geo-political zone for symbolism. Such monarchies should not have any authority or power but just be figureheads

(7) We chose to abandon ties to the British monarchy and then started expanding our own monarchies. Where is the logic to that reasoning? You jettison one oppressor for the other

(8) To become a traditional monarch, all you need is to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth. How can any rational person support appointment to office based on bloodline? If you are a commoner, even if you are a genius, you cannot be appointed an Oba, Obi or an Emir

(9) Some people will oppose what has been described as “born to rule mentality” but then support the coronation of a monarch. Well, let me make it clear, an Oba, Emir, Obi, Igwe or Amanyabo is someone born to rule. If he is a blue-blooded prince, he can become your monarch, even if he has no education and will be handed public funds to manage even if he is incompetent

(10) I hope the dethroning of Lamido Sanusi marks a turning point in our history and we bring our democracy up to speed with what should prevail in the 21st century. I look forward to engaging Lamido Sanusi in the intellectual sphere