From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano state has assented to Kano State Emirates Council (Amendment number 2) Law, 2024.
The amended law had abolished the establishment of 5 Emirate councils of Kano, Bichi, Rano, Karaye and Gaya in the state.
The governor signed the bill into law in the presence of the Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdulsalam, Speaker, Isma’il Falgore and the SSG, Abdullahi Bichi.
Speaking after the signing, the governor announced the reinstatement of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi ll, who was deposed by former governor, Abdullahi Ganduje in 2019.
The governor, therefore, gave the removed emirs 48 hours to vacate their places and hand over all necessary materials to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Meanwhile, Kano state house of assembly had passed Kano emirates council law (repeal bill) 2024 on Thursday.
This was sequel to deliberations on the floor of the house during plenary.
The law, which was passed after scaling 3rd reading had abolished the establishment of 4 Emirate councils, including Bichi, Karaye, Gaya and Rano in the state.
The new bill would revert the state’s highest ranking traditional institution to its former structure of one emir as all the
offices established under the repealed law had been dissolved.
The bill had also provided that all district heads elevated or appointed under the repealed law are to revert to their previous positions.
The bill, titled Kano State Emirates Council (Amendment number 2) Law, 2024, was sponsored by the Majority Leader and member representing the Dala Constituency, Lawan Hussaini Chediyar Yan Gurasa.
Recall that the law former governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje, on December 5, 2019, assented to the law that created five new emirates in the state.
The governor assented to an amendment to the law on 14 October, 2020, after emir Muhammadu Sanusi was deposed and signed another amendment on 11 April, 2023.
Section 3(1) of the law established five distinct emirates; Kano, Bichi, Rano, Gaya and Karaye, with Kano and Karaye having eight local government areas of jurisdiction each, while Bichi and Gaya emirates share 9 local government areas of jurisdiction each, Rano Emirate enjoys jurisdiction over 10 local government areas out of the 44 local councils in the state.
Earlier the Deputy Speaker, Muhammad Butu-Butu explained that repealing the law would revive the lost glory of Kano as the division of Kano emirate to five reduced the capacity and dignity of the state at national level.
Also, the majority leader, Lawan Dala said that the emirate council served as a custodian of culture which was distorted by the creation of additional emirates.
Mr Dala explained that with the amendment of the law all the five emirate councils had been abolished while the commissioner for local governments would serve as the overseer.
The house also adopted a motion to create new second class emirate council in the state.
