Traditional rulers used to hold all the aces in Africa, until their empires got defeated by other empires with much better means of coercion. But then, that was before the Europeans went into Africa.
Indeed, the game changed with the advent of the Europeans who came with mirrors and guns. They even showed ordinary Africans that if they could trade with them, they stood much better chances.
Errant traditional rulers were either killed or deposed.
And that was the end of the various empires.
When African countries started getting their independence from the colonists, the so called rulers proved themselves to be even better than their teachers, the Europeans, as far as traditional rulers who were not in their good books were concerned.
In Nigeria, for example, we had Sir Olateru Olagbegi, the late Olowo of Owo, who was deposed for twenty five years. We also had the Odemo of Isara, who was placed on a remuneration of three pence.
In the list is also Sultan Dasuki of Sokoto who was deposed. What about Okunade Sijuade of Ife and Bayero of Kano who were nearly deposed. The current Alake of Egbaland nearly suffered the same fate too.
So, the case of Emir Sanusi is not particularly different. The irony of his own case is the fact that he was deposed by a governor who should be serving time in jail after being seen on video collecting bribe.
The point of this post is that Nigerians should decide what roles they want traditional rulers to perform in this modern era. It’s of no use spending so much on traditional rulers who are expected to play no roles in the governance of a modern nation.
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