The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has signed the 2019 Emirate Council Bill into law.
He assented to the bill on Thursday at a ceremony which took place at the Coronation Hall of the Government House, Kano.
The new law creates four additional emirates in the state, namely; Bichi, Gaya, Rano and Karaye.
While signing the bill into law, Ganduje said: “After successfully passing the bill by the House, here we are, witnessing the signing of the bill into a law; and our emirates have come to stay.”
The Kano State House of Assembly had earlier on Thursday, passed the bill into law during a very short plenary session.
Recall that Ganduje had earlier created four new Emirates in a move critics saw as an attempt to whittle down the powers of the Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, who has been critical of the state government.
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However, a Kano State High Court, presided over by Justice Usman Nabba, had restrained the governor, the House of Assembly, their servants, agents and proxies from passing the bill or enacting the law.
The court had held that the proceedings of the Assembly in respect of the law violated its own rule, and that the legislators failed to comply with Order II, Rule 3 of the Kano State House of Assembly.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, the governor maintained that all things concerning the new Emirates were done, “to bring development closer to the people.”
He said further: “We need sustainable socio-economic development for our dear state. We need further improvement in the security system and the well-being of our people.
“Any emir or any traditional ruler, who goes against the provisions of this law, such a person will definitely face the music. He will surely be punished without waste of time.”
