HOW GANDUJE GOT HIS CLAWS

On 19 Aug. 1950, Hon. Tafawa Balewa, provincial member from Bauchi, shocked the Emirs in the chambers of Northern House of Ass. when he delivered a speech that may now explain the roots of the power politicians have since wielded over the Emirs. 1/13

In that speech, Balewa laid out a number of charges against the 'Sole Native Authority' system in which Emirs/Chiefs served as sole administrators at local govt levels, a carryover of Goldie/Lugard's indirect rule system. 2/13

Charges: bribery, lack of accountability and worsening condition of the populace. To be sure, he served notice on 'Natural Rulers' on the arrival of the educated elite (Balewa belongs to the group called "yan koleji' - the eggheads - being all graduates of Katsina College). 3/13

Among proposals made for reorganizing the N.A. system was abolition of sole power of the Emirs by expanding powers to N.A. Council members beyond existing advisory roles. Balewa then proposed a resolution reading as below: 4/13

As should be expected, most first class rulers (Sokoto, Borno, Kano and Zaria) voted against the reform commission (leaving Emirs of Ilorin and Katsina in support). Second class chiefs and emirs were either tepidly opposed or supportive. See account below: 5/13

Now, Balewa was not a rabid radical. He was not, e.g., Mallam Jumarre Zaria the prolific petitioner who criticised the N.A. system for most of the 40s until he resigned his teaching appointment in Zaria to join NYM in Lagos to and work as reporter to its newspaper. 6/13

Balewa and his cohorts organised around the mild platform of Jamiyyar Mutanen Arewa from which would emerge NPC a year later. This trenchant speech was therefore taken very seriously. The Lt. Gov. travelled down to Lagos to discuss the emerging crack. 7/13

Trust the British to curate their way out of trouble, while giving everybody something to gang around their neck. No commission was formed to forge a silver bullet reform. Rather a series of conferences and administrative reports were commissioned to look into the matter. 8/13

Meanwhile, apparently the colonials also advised the royals to take Balewa's 'new sheriff' notice seriously. In 1952, the Sultan by himself moved a successful motion in the House of Chiefs to abolish the Sole N.A. In 1954, a new N.A. Law abolished the indirect rule system. 9/13

The N.A Law increased popular participation in local govt through a mix of elective and appointive positions. However, the distinction between the chief-in-council (for first class Emirs) and chief-and-council (for mostly Benue/Plateau provinces) still advantaged the Emirs. 10/13

Later the 50s, the 'yan koleji' boys were being appointed into the regional cabinet and from 1960, they were running the govt proper. They effectively gained on the Emirs, controlling them by carrot and stick. 1962's Provincial Admin. Law further weakened the royals.11/13

In 1963, Emir Mo'med Sanusi I of Kano was ordered to tender his resignation letter to Sir Kashim Ibrahim, 'yan koleji' & Gov of the region. He was thereafter banished to Azare. This followed disagreement b/w the Emir and Premier Sir. Ahmad Bello, 'dean' of the 'yan koleji'. 12/13

Since the 1976 LG reforms, the emirate system has been separated from LG admin. Emirate councils h/ever retain informal advisory roles, from which they enjoy substantial perquisites - a small 'carrot' to the powerful 'stick' of dethronement that today's Govs still wield.13/13