On Wednesday, the Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II called out the conservative northern part of Nigeria, saying the region is still holding on to obsolete 13th century ideologies.
He also noted that if Nigeria were to be broken into countries, the country formed by the region would be the poorest.
He made the assertions while speaking on the theme ‘Promoting investments in the midst of economic challenges’ at the 2017 Kaduna Investment Summit.
The points raised by the Emir at the summit have got Nigerians talking.
Here are seven quotes from the speech that many are applauding.
- On development of the northern states of Nigeria
As far back at 2000, I looked at the numbers, Borno and Yobe states, UNDP figures, Borno and Yobe states, if they were a country on their own, were poorer than Niger, Cameroon and Chad. Nobody saw this because we were looking at Nigeria as a country that averages the oil-rich Niger Delta, the industrial and commercial-rich Lagos, the commercially viable southeast, and you have an average.Break Nigeria into its component parts, and these parts of the country are among the poorest, if it were a country. And we do not realise we are in trouble.”
2. On kids’ education and begging
Of what benefit is it to the North to have 3millions kids out of school roaming the streets begging?
3. In reply to Abdulaziz Yari’s postulation that meningitis was God’s punishment for fornication
Fornication perhaps does not happen in America which is why they don’t have meningitis… Meningitis as punishment for fornication has absolutely no basis in Islam. It is science not religion. Treat meningitis, don’t say God is punishing victims. It is science not religion. The statement by Governor of Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari on God punishing Nigeria with Meningitis is Islamically incorrect.
4. About his Alma mater
I am a King’s College boy. King’s College (Lagos) produces all the progressive intellectuals. It does not hurt anyone to build on the work of his predecessor.
5. On the northern culture and religion
“We have adopted an interpretation of our culture and our religion that is rooted in the 13th century mindset, that refuses to recognise that the rest of the Muslim world has moved on.
6. About the multiplicity of Islamic views
We are fighting culture, we are fighting civilisation. We must wage an intellectual war, because Islam is not univocal; there are many voices, there are many interpretations, there are many viewpoints, and we have for too long allow the ascendancy of the most conservative viewpoints. The consequence of that is that there are certain social problems.
7. Kannywood: Kano’s loss, Kaduna’s gain
Building Kannywood would have led to building the economy of Kano…I’m sad that Kano has lost it, but I’m happy that Kaduna is getting it.
