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From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Wednesday, gave an insight into why he abolished the status of non-indigenes in Kano, saying the state’s position as a commercial nerve centre was the result of the contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, especially Igbo.
The governor was speaking in Kano to a delegation from Abia State, who paid him a condolence visit over the death of the late Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule.
The high-powered delegation included a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, and former Senate President, Chief Adolphus Wabara, among others.
According to Ganduje, who stated that he was upset by the quit notice issued to Igbo people in the North by some groups, “when the ejection order or migration order was given, we in Kano said, No, that nobody was going anywhere!”
He recalled that, “Here in Kano, we discussed with our youths and we discussed with the people and with those who were being referred to as non-indigenes.
“We have abolished that (indigene and non-indigene) boundary in Kano. Everybody staying in Kano is an indigene of Kano State. You can only say that you are an indigene of Kano with primordial claims elsewhere. But, as far we are concerned now, you and your children are indigenes of the state.
“The reason why we have this belief is historical. Kano, being the commercial nerve centre of the North, being the commercial nerve centre for some West Africa countries, Kano could not have attained that status without other nationalities or without other parts of the country, especially Igbo,” he said.
The governor added that, “If that is our pride, commercial nerve centre, why do we have to break our backbone of commerce? We need to maintain our status. And to maintain our status, we need people from all over the country to be with us.”
In Ganduje’s words, “America is great because people from different cultures, people with different comparative advantages were put together. Everybody came with his talent, initiative and wisdom. That is what made American great!
“You can hardly be great with homogeneity. Heterogeneity is the way to development all over the world.”
While appreciating the delegation for visiting the state, he told the dignitaries that, “Your coming to Kano to console us today tells a lot across the divide. It speaks much about the national integration that we are trying to achieve.”
In his remarks, Abia State Governor, Dr. Victor Okezie Ikpeasu, declared that the unity of Nigeria was not questionable.
Saying that he had been to all the states of Nigeria and had seen the rainbow that beautifies the country, he maintained that a united Nigeria was better for all Nigerians.
