Northern Agenda for Good Governance, a political pressure group, has noted with concern the removal of Senator Shehu Buba Umar as the Mujaddadin Bauchi by the Bauchi emirate council, saying the action is uncalled for.
The group argued that Senator Shehu Buba’s removal as Mujaddadin Bauchi was allegedly influenced and motivated by a political feud between the sitting Governor and the Senator representing Bauchi’s south senatorial district.
“We find this development a grave disservice to the revered traditional institution because custodians of the nation’s sacred values and cultural authorities ought to remain objective, politically neutral and live above board.”
The group, in a press statement in Bauchi on Monday, explained that since the two warring political actors, Senator Shehu Buba and Governor Bala Mohammed, who were from diverse political platforms, are also subjects of the Emir, it is morally wrong for the emirate council to take a side instead of reconciling them.
“This bad precedence that the Governor wants to leave behind for victimising political opponents using our reputable traditional institution can not only continue to rubbish the public image of the institution in the eyes of members of the civilised public but will also be responsible for the heightening of social discord and the constant heating up of the polity which will lead to exacerbation of civil strife.”
The group cited examples from some victims, “Of this nonchalant attitude of His Excellency in the like of Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara as Jakkadan Bauchi, Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi as Wakilin Birnin Bauchi, and our father, Alhaji Muhammad Bello Kirfi as Wazirin Bauchi.”
According to the group led by its Bauchi south coordinator, Comrade Ismail Musa, the emirate ought to promote peace and harmony among its subjects in society rather than allowing themselves and their offices to be used as a unit in political vendetta. Traditional rulers should remain neutral and serve as role models for all.
“We strongly believe that the Bauchi emirate council ought not to allow its hard-earned glory to be lost in the eyes of the public. We urged Governor Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir, the executive Governor of Bauchi State, to exercise his powers with due sensitivity and humanity”, Comrade Musa said.
Musa explained that the Northern Agenda for Good Governance is a civil society organisation that operates along with other like-minded groups to constantly engage the government and other relevant stakeholders in ensuring the independence of our traditional institutions in the northern part of the country.
