The reinstated Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, has urged parents in Kano to prevent their children and wards from participating in the #EndBadGovernance protest.
Emir Sanusi made this appeal a day after demonstrations devolved into widespread looting and destruction, including the burning of the prestigious Kano Government Printing Press and the tragic killing of some protesters in the state.
At a press conference at his palace on Friday, Sanusi described the protest as a sad moment and a setback for the state’s development initiatives. The monarch called on protesters to avoid being deceived and to discontinue the protests.
“Today is a sad day for the people of Kano as we reflect on the events of yesterday. The violence was what scholars and leaders had warned about—the possibility that miscreants and agents of destruction would hijack peaceful demonstrations to cause mayhem, leading to loss of lives and destruction of properties, including the Kano Government Printing Press, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and injuries to countless people,” Sanusi said.
He added, “Any violence in Kano only hurts Kano and its innocent people. The young people who died are our children, and the properties that were burned and stolen belong to the people of Kano. We have set ourselves back. The printing press that was burned will have to be rebuilt, the machines replaced, and these are funds that could have gone into youth empowerment, poverty alleviation, education, healthcare, and nutrition—addressing the very problems we are protesting against.”
Sanusi emphasized the impact on the Digital Centre of Excellence built by the NCC, which aimed at educating youth and providing digital training. “I had personally spoken to the minister, and I am aware that the minister was due to come next week to commission this centre along with the Governor. We have vandalized and destroyed the computers; we have wasted hundreds of millions of Naira that was supposed to be an investment in human capital,” he said.
He continued, “North and Kano in particular were the most affected by the consequences of the protest. I am calling on the people of Kano not to allow a repeat of yesterday’s events or to be deceived into continuing this kind of mayhem. Parents should advise their children. Ward heads, district heads, and imams should let our people understand that this violence only hurts Kano and sets us back. Nobody is going to come fix our problems.”
Sanusi concluded with prayers for the souls of the deceased, restoration of the looted wealth, and quick recovery for the injured. He called on the people to maintain peace, cooperate with security agencies, and refuse to buy stolen goods, encouraging young men and women to return stolen goods to their owners.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Kano Printing Press, Alhaji Yahaya Muhammad Idris wrote to the Commissioner of Police on July 29, appealing for action on an intelligence report about hoodlums planning to invade the press house. Unfortunately, no action was taken, and the press house was razed to the ground yesterday, the likes of Offset lithography and letterpress printing machineries were burned down by thugs, as reported by Kwankwasiyya Online.
Also, all efforts to reach staff members and management of the Kano Printing press was abortive.
