Ganduje considers suspending Emir of Kano and appointing a regent after panel says $9.4m was unaccounted for

GOVERNOR Abdullahi Ganduje is contemplating appointing an acting emir of Kano to replace Lamido Sanusi Mohammed after the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission accused the monarch of misappropriating N3.5bn ($9.4m).

Over recent months, Governor Ganduje and Emir Sanusi have been involved in a public spat over the traditional rulers decision not to back during the last general elections. Governor Ganduje subsequently asked anti-graft agencies to probe the finances of the Kano emirate and then now decided to follow this up by carving it into four places in a bid to reduce the emir's influence.

According to political insiders, Governor Ganduje is not happy about the fact that the emir backed his political rival during the last Kano State gubernatorial elections. Now that the anti-graft commission has submitted its report, the governor is considering suspending the emir after it was reported that the monarch misappropriated the amount between 2014 and 2017.

According to the commission's preliminary report signed by its chairman, Alhaji Muhuyi Magaji, the Kano Emirate Council was alleged to have spent over N1.9bn on seemingly personal expenditures. These expenditures violated Section 314 of Penal Code as well as provisions of Section 26 of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission Law 2008.

Alhaji Magaji said: “It is also the opinion of this commission, based on the available evidence, that Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II continued to undermine the investigation through various means which include giving instruction to all officers invited for clarification to shun the commission’s invitation. The act is seriously affecting the process of our statutory responsibility and offends the provisions of Section 25 of the commission’s enabling Law 2008."

His report, therefore, recommended that the principal suspect in the person of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II and all other suspects connected with the case be suspended, pending the final outcome of the investigations. It also recommended that further legal action should be taken against all the suspects as soon as the final outcome of the investigations were concluded and legal advice accordingly issued.

“This is a necessary administrative disciplinary action aimed at preventing the suspects from further interfering with the commission’s investigations. The commission further recommends that the contract awarded to Tri-C Nigeria for renovation of Babban Daki, Kofar Kudu and Gidan Sarki Dorayi should be revoked as the company belongs to one of the suspects in person of Alhaji Mannir Sanusi, the chief of staff in the emirate,” the report added.

According to the report, the company failed to settle a sub-contractor, Cardinal Architecture after being duly paid. It further recommended that appropriate authority should be put in place to oversee the affairs of the Kano Emirate Council in line with established statutes and policies, pending the final outcome of the commission’s investigations.