KANO Nigeria (Reuters) -
Nigeria's ousted central bank governor, Lamido Sanusi, was named Emir of
Kano on Sunday, making an outspoken government critic one of the most
influential leaders in the largely Muslim north.
Sanusi, who regularly railed against the government's record on
corruption, was suspended from his post at the bank in February by
President Goodluck Jonathan in a decision that alarmed international
investors.
His move into such a revered position, after the death of his
great-uncle the last emir on Friday, could unsettle some in Jonathan's
administration which rules over a religiously divided country and is
facing national elections in 2015. The emir is the second-highest Muslim
authority in Nigeria
Underlining local politics also raging behind the decision, several
hundred supporters of another hopeful candidate - the late emir's oldest
son - massed outside the state government building, destroying street
signs until police fired in the air to disperse them, witnesses said.
Sanusi's switch from the offices of the capital Abuja to the palace in
Kano will make him a central player in confronting a mounting insurgency
by Islamist Boko Haram militants in the northeast. The fighters have
set their sights on toppling the traditional Muslim hierarchy, accusing
it of failing to enforce what they see as their true interpretation of
the Koran.
"Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is the new Emir of Kano," the state government said, using a fuller version of his name.
Sanusi took the throne, which has few constitutional powers, amid tight
security. Soldiers manned major road junctions in the north’s main city
that has suffered a string of bomb attacks blamed on Boko Haram. He had
been shortlisted by four “kingmakers” - part of ancient succession
rules set up by an emirate known for its sumptuous displays of royal
regalia and ritual.
There is no automatic father-to-son succession, but candidates have to come from leading families.
"A PRINCE"
Sanusi, whose policies are credited with stabilising the naira currency
and bringing inflation in Africa's second biggest economy to single
digits, told Reuters in February his position in one of Kano's leading
families had given him a psychological boost.
"If you're a prince you don't have fear of power. You are not
intimidated by authority because you've grown up around it," he said.
Government
figures and analysts will be looking for any change in tone from his
great-uncle Ado Abdullahi Bayero, who ruled as emir for half a century
before dying in his palace at the age of 83. Ado Abdullahi Bayero
steered clear of overtly political statements and won praise for his
efforts to ease tensions between Kano’s majority Muslim population and
minority Christians. The new emir was suspended from the bank after
presenting parliament with evidence that the state oil firm Nigeria
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had failed to pay $20 billion into
federal coffers. NNPC has repeatedly denied Sanusi's allegations, which
brought him into conflict with Jonathan's administration a year before
the elections. The administration of Jonathan, a southern Christian,
denied any link between Sanusi's removal and his allegations and went on
to accuse the central bank of procurement irregularities during
Sanusi's tenure. He has dismissed those charges. The
Emirate of Kano was one of the great Islamic empires that dotted the
Sahara from medieval times, profiting from caravan routes connecting
Africa's interior with its Mediterranean coast. Former colonial ruler
Britain kept most of the northern hierarchy in place and the emirate
continued to hold sway over the largely underdeveloped region after
independence in 1960.
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