Increasingly, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim
Sulu-Gambari, is becoming a tool in the hands of the Senate President,
Dr. Bukola Saraki, SaharaReporters sources in Kwara State say.
The
Senate President, who is facing prosecution for alleged false
declaration of assets and possible loss of his exalted position, is
using a variety of weapons to fight his political battles, and the most
prominent of his battle axes are the Emir and State Governor Abdulfattah
Ahmed.
A recent victim of the onslaught is Alhaji Ibrahim Oniye, Makaman
Ilorin, who was suspended by Governor Ahmed as Chairman of Kwara State
Parent-Teachers Association.
The suspension of Oniye, who was also barred by the Emir from
stepping into his palace, did not come as a shock to many people in the
state.
The man, although blind, is a reputed straight talker, who is not
afraid to speak the truth to those in authority. His fearless nature
was said to be one of the attributes that endeared him to the late Emir
Aliyu Abdulkadir, the 10th Emir of Ilorin, who appointed him the first
Makaman of the Ilorin Emirate in 1993.
Our sources say what got Oniye into trouble was his decision to tell
Alhaji Sulu-Gambari that more people in Kwara are angry with Saraki and
are actually cursing him. Oniye was said to have told the Emir that
those cursing Saraki are mainly the poor, who see the Senate President
as one who has taken what belongs to them and continues to do so through
Governor Ahmed, who is seen as a stooge.
Alhaji Oniye was said to have made this observation known to the Emir
at a meeting called by the latter to find out why huge financial
outlays on prayers by Saraki failed to stop the Supreme Court from
halting the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) from going ahead with the
Senate President’s prosecution.
In attendance at the meeting were prominent Muslim clerics and Ilorin
title holders, who preferred to deodorize the real situation until
Oniye spoke and told the meeting about the anger of Kwarans with Saraki.
The treatment of Oniye by the palace and the governor has sparked disquiet in the state and invited scrutiny of the Emir.
SaharaReporters sources said that as word leaked that Alhaji Oniye
had been suspended and that his PTA chairmanship would be taken away,
the political establishment in Ilorin reversed the decision. By the time
SaharaReporters reached Alhaji Oniye, it was apparent he had ready-made
answers. Carefully picking his words, he denied he had not been
suspended and blamed the news on those that might be jealous of his many
titles and prestigious position within the Ilorin Emirate.
He also said he was never removed as the PTA chairman at the state
level. He stressed that as he had never been “queried or indicted” for
any malfeasance, he couldn’t have been removed.
Asked if he had spoken up for teachers whose salaries had remained
unpaid in the state, he waxed philosophical saying he is the “father of
all” and then asked rhetorically if there are no unpaid teachers in
Osun, Bauchi, Kano and other places.
When SaharaReporters pressed Alhaji Oniye regarding the Saraki trial
in Abuja, he gave interesting answers. First, he said it was his duty
not to allow the image of Ilorin to be dragged in the mud by the trial
since Saraki was Ilorin’s son, and later, that he would advise people
not to jubilate over Saraki’s predicament unless he is pronounced guilty
by the tribunal. When our reporter read this portion of his statement
to him he asked that it be taken out completely saying he had no comment
on Saraki because he doesn’t want to be dragged into politics.
SaharaReporters then asked Alhaji Oniye about the reason he
worshipped at a local Mosque last Friday as opposed to the Central
Mosque where he has always worshipped. On this question he was slightly
upset, saying it was stupid of anyone to read meaning into that,
claiming that since the Emir went to Ira for the anniversary of the Oba
of Ira without taking him along, he was not under any obligation to
worship at the Central Mosque.
The Emir is currently viewed as simply carrying out the wishes of
Saraki and nothing else. Sources in Ilorin said issues in the emirate
hardly get the Emir’s attention unless they have the potential to
enhance Saraki’s fortunes.
Also sucked into the Saraki scheme is the Ilorin Emirate Descendants
Progressive Union (IEDPU) led by Alhaji Abdulhameed Adi. The IEDPU
showed its true character when it went to present a Qur'an and Alkayba
to Saraki in the Senate shortly after his indictment.
The union, at the prompting of the Senate President, scrapped its
Ilorin branch, which comprised younger, better-educated and radical
members. The branch had been opposed to Saraki’s stranglehold on the
affairs of the state.
Members of the branch decided to go to court, a move that was leaked
to the Emir, who called them to a meeting. On arrival at the palace, the
Emir informed them that the most important issue was how to ensure that
Saraki does not lose the Senate Presidency. He followed that up with an
order that they should return to their homes and pray for Saraki.
Those at the meeting expressed shock at how the Emir had begun conflating Ilorin well-being with Saraki’s.
The bigger shock was witnessed last week when Saraki visited Ilorin.
The Emir left the palace and followed Saraki to his residence, telling
those obviously surprised by his abominable conduct that he was
escorting his 'son' home.
Currently, it is said that the Emir rarely attends meetings of
Northern Emirs. He is said to be fully occupied running errands for
Saraki, leaving many displeased with the way the Emir conducts himself
in the community.
Many, however, link the Emir’s servile conduct to a rumored prophecy
that the 11th Emir would be deposed. The current is the 11th Emir and he
is said to believe that it is the Saraki family that can stop the
predicted deposition.
In the meantime, sources say copious sums of money are being spent on
marabouts and traditional diviners to ensure that Saraki escapes
justice.
Many marabouts are said to have been sent on trips to Saudi Arabia to
pray for him. Locally, some others were contracted to say special
prayers on Sobi Hill in Ilorin. They were said to have been told to come
down and immediately slaughter a camel. They, however, met a dead camel
when they came down from the hill, which was viewed as an indication
that the prayers said had no effect.
Traditional diviners are said to have been hired for Saraki by the
Emir of Okuta, in Baruten Local Government Area. Saraki is said to have
promised to elevate the traditional ruler to the status of a First Class
Emir. Three weeks ago, three diviners were brought in from the
neighboring Republic of Benin.
All these activities are being funded with state resources, which are
controlled by Saraki, with Governor Ahmed said to be no more than a
mannequin. Through state resources, judicial officials, security
operatives, media practitioners and politicians are being bribed.
The unsurprising consequence is that the state is unable to pay its workers or meet basic obligations.