President Muhammadu Buhari says the Nigerian constitution barred him from interfering in the dispute between Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.
The Emir of Ningi, Alhaji Yunusa Danyaya, had on Thursday pleaded with Buhari to save the traditional institution in the North from being destroyed by urgently intervening in the conflict between Sanusi and Ganduje.
The royal father, who made the appeal in a chat with newsmen at his palace in Ningi, said: “I am begging the President as a father to all to please in the name of Allah to intervene in the problem happening in Kano and settle this dispute between the Emir and the Governor.
“I have high hopes that Buhari will not allow the traditional institution to be humiliated and bastardised,” he added.
Buhari, however, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said: “I know my role as the President of Nigeria.
“By the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Governor of Kano State has his own roles, once a matter is in the hands of the House of Assembly (like in Kano), the President has no Constitutional right to interfere.
“I am here by the Constitution, I swore by it, and I am going to stand by it. But let me tell you the bottom line of my understanding of the Constitutional role is that peace and security of all Nigerians must be guaranteed, where the people are threatened, then I will use my constitutional powers,” he said.
Buhari advised elected officials to live up to the promises they made to their constituents to justify the confidence reposed in them.
“I hope you are mindful of your promises to your constituencies. You went round and you promised your constituencies. I hope the promises you made are within the resources of your state.
“If you made promises outside your resources, it will be your problem because you are going to stand again in four years’ time. This is very important and it is important for our party,” he said.
Ganduje, who led the delegation, thanked Buhari for executing numerous projects in the state including- the Kano – Abuja road reconstruction; the modernisation of Kaduna -Kano and from Kano -Niger Republic rail lines.
He also thanked him for the gas pipeline project from Ajaokuta to Kaduna and from Kaduna to Kano; dualisation of Kano – Katsina highway; as well as the construction and equipping of new terminal wing of the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.
He also lauded the President for his government’s efforts to make life better for Kano people especially in terms of security and education.
“We have done a lot in the area of security, even installing CCTV cameras in black spots and all major routes into Kano state.
“We also have a multi-purpose vehicle for monitoring, which has helped in arresting kidnappers and Boko Haram terrorists. We have also established an army training area,” he said.
According to him, government has also curtailed herdsmen/farmers clashes by establishing settlements for nomads.
“We used to have one million out-of-school children but now we are down to about 400,000 on account of the new education policy which now makes schooling free and compulsory from basic to secondary school, complemented with free feeding, free uniforms and free instructional materials,” he said.
He said his administration had also recruited 600 teachers to teach Mathematics and English as well as 3,000 teachers for Almajiri schools that would be incorporated into the normal school system.
The governor also requested for federal government’s intervention towards completing the Kano River Irrigation Scheme; the establishment of a Federal Medical Centre; and desilting of 24 dams in the state.(NAN)
