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Ganduje, MACBAN: Two Endangered Species
By Dele Sobowale
“Ever the latter end of joy is woe. “ Geoffrey Chaucer, 1342-1400.
Former Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has now joined a long list of individuals who, when fortunately placed in high office, forget that nothing lasts for ever – other than the power and Glory of Almighty God. He is not alone.
The leaders of the Mayetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN – representing the dreaded terrorist herdsmen – might not be aware of it. But, herdsmen have suddenly become endangered species everywhere in Nigeria.
They were safe while Buhari was President; Buhari has left with the immunity conferred on them. Those they brutalised for eight years are gradually waking up to the fact that they are now vulnerable and can be attacked without consequences.
This article could have been titled The Hunters Become The Hunted; and it would have been appropriate. But, I used that title in 1998 when Abacha died suddenly and his dreaded Chief Security Officer, Al-Mustapha, was redeployed to the barracks.
In that article, I warned Mustapha, whose goons, had locked me up four times, to run away from Nigeria. Otherwise, he would spend several years in prison. He ignored the undeserved warning; and spent ten years in jail; his military career in ruins. Mustapha who once held the power of life and death over fellow Nigerians, called “a lion” then, is now as harmless as a pussy cat. Ganduje and the herdsmen have become endangered species for the same reason – loss of power.
Ganduje: Lost Opportunities And Vindictiveness
“Kano anti-graft agency invites Ganduje over alleged dollar video.”
VANGUARD, JULY 7, 2023.
The story filed by Abdulmumin Murtala went on to explain that “investigation proves video not doctored”. Before going into the substance of the story, it must be pointed out that the change of ruling party in Kano State has nothing to do with why Ganduje is in deep trouble. It is the way Ganduje handled power after he became the Governor under the All Progressives Congress, APC in 2015.
I was working and living in Kano in 1983 – when Sabo Barkin Zuwo, an unknown candidate of the NPN, scored an unexpected victory over Alhaji Abubakar Rimi of the PRP. Though the change was short-lived, on account of the December 31, 1983 coup, Barkin Zuwo did not treat his predecessor as an enemy; neither were PRP members – including late Aminu Kano – disrespected.
Kano was a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stronghold from 1999 till 2015, when, in a bid to return power to the North, its political leaders decided to join APC. Ganduje was not the leader. Very quickly, given the enormous powers of a state Governor, he engaged in a power grab. He was not contented to be temporarily the most powerful person in the state; he wanted to wipe out any other competitor – including the man who helped him to become Governor, Alhaji Kwakanso.
“I hate ingratitude more in a man than lying, vainness, babbling drunkenness or any taint of vice whose strong corruption inhabits our frail blood.
William Shakespeare, 1564-1616.
Ganduje not only demonstrated uncommon ingratitude which was shocking to the Kano political establishment which practised politics without bitterness; he was full of vindictiveness and used the Governor’s power with devastating effect.
My first experience with Kano State political practice occurred in 1982. Late Governor Rimi’s Police Aide, CSP, Joseph Adamu, from Langtang, Plateau State, was my best friend in the State. Adamu looked like a carbon copy of Rimi; and we were all members of the Tennis section of Kano Club.
From that association came the annual Dala Hard Court Tennis tournament which was once on the international circuit. Only a fence separated my official residence from State House. Adamu would come to sleep there for unexpected calls to get moving with His Excellency
On one occasion, someone came to see Rimi. He belonged to the NPN; and he was in financial distress. I expected Rimi, after inviting him in to tell the fellow off in strong terms. Instead, the two ignored Adamu and me and chatted as if they were the best of friends. He was soon rehabilitated. I asked Rimi if he knew the man who just left. Instead of answering Yes of No, he said “Dele that is how we practise politics in Kano”. Collaborative political competition has been the trademark until the recent past; when Ganduje threw that overboard.
Sanusi Lamido II, former Governor of Central Bank and ex-Emir of Kano might be a difficult person to get along with. He probably soon became bored with life in the Emir’s Palace – with its distinct lack of intellectual stimulation. Whether or not Ganduje had sufficient reasons to depose the Emir need not delay us here.
Governors, in every state, are mini-gods – because state legislators are slaves or cowards or both. The measures he took were always guaranteed to be rubber-stamped by the State’s lawmakers.
Ganduje must have read that “discretion is the better part of valour”. But, disregarded the age-long admonition. He not only got the Emir deposed, the former monarch was forcefully exiled to a village in Nasarawa State.
Derangement of power could not be better defined. A Court order was required to restore Sanusi’s rights. In response, I got published an article titled Ganduje Has Murdered Sleep. In it, I warned Ganduje that he would spend the rest of his life paying for that delusion of power. His travails have just started. He will not suffer alone. Those who collaborated with him, while intoxicated with transient power, will share in his self-inflicted misfortune.
THE RISE AND FALL OF MACBAN
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely
Lord Acton, 1834-1902
Ask any Nigerian “who in the years 2015 to 2023 had absolute power?” And, most probably you would receive answers like “Buhari, Police SARS, DSS etc.” they will be wrong. Absolute power is power of life and death wielded with impunity by an individual or group. MACBAN and its members were the only group with absolute power in the last eight years under Buhari.
The story of a farm community in Oke Ogun, Oyo State will illustrate what I mean. The sudden transformation which occurred there was eventually felt in every rural farming community in Nigeria. Even colonial rule was not nearly as draconian or deadly.
I have been associated with that area since 1992, when Cashewnut Processing Industries Limited, Eleiyele, Ibadan, needed a larger and newer farm to replace its cashew farm situated at Iwo, Osun State. The search took us to Oke Ogun where several hundred acres were acquired. The community had more farmland for sale to the people entrusted with the search.
Shortlt after the return to civil rule in 1999, there was an unusual confrontation between the, hitherto, unarmed herdsmen, who apologised for incursions into farms. Ie became violent; but, order was soon restored by the Police.
Shortly after the restoration of peace, Buhari went to the former Governor of Oyo State, late Lam Adesina to lecture him on the rights of herdsmen to operate anywhere in Nigeria they chose. He spoke as the jihadist Life Patron of MACBAN. Lam Adesina, a thoroughbred son of Yorubaland, gave the ex-warrior a reply Buhari was not expecting. No herdsmen will be allowed to destroy farms in Oyo.
Consequently, no herdsman was ever sighted wielding guns anywhere in Nigeria until 2015. Late October 2015, report was made about the presence of armed herdsmen. Nearly everybody assumed it was a bloody rumour.
Then, the attacks in Enugu State and Agatu, Benue State followed in rapid succession by similat attacks in Plateau and Taraba States occurred. Rumour had turned to fact. Suddenly areas of Oyo State from Oyo to Iseyin, Oke Ogun, Kishi, Ibese to Shaki were swarming with AK-47 wielding herders. Reports to the Police were ignored until the entire area was captured.
The same thing was happening nationwide until the formerly docile herdsmen became the fifth largest terrorist group in the world – ranking with the Taliban in ferocity and heartlessness. Yet, given the thousands of Nigerians killed, abducted maimed, women raped and orphans created, the Buhari government and our security forces under him neither arrested nor prosecuted a single one of them.
MACBAN repeatedly openly threatened the Governor and people of Benue with impunity. The Inspectors General of Police, DG-DSS, Chief of Army Staff, National Security Adviser – all Northerners – heard nothing, saw nothing and did nothing. These were Baba’s boys committing genocide without restraint.
Fortunately, there is still a God; and time and circumstances destroy evil. MACBAN must now realise that there is no Baba in Aso Rock anymore. The new IGP and CoAS will not allow 500,000 armed hoodlums to roam about as a parallel army. Herdsmen will be disarmed – one way or another.
The rest of us cannot leave the disarmament to government alone. We must help Tinubu’s government to rid the nation of the murderers.
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