Fani-Kayode: Shinkafi Emirate Says Title Irreversible, Irrevocable |The Source

By Akinwale Kasali

The  controversy over the chieftaincy title bestowed on former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, which led to the resignation of some Traditional Chiefs in the Shinkafi Emirate, Zamfara State, has taken another dimension.

A couple of chiefs has given the Emir an ultimatum to withdraw the title bestowed on Fani-Kayode, or face their resignation and legal action.

But the Emir­ate Council has stated that the “Sadaukin Shinkafi” title conferred on Femi Fani-Kayode, by the Emir Of Shinkafi, Alhaji Muhammad Makwash is ir­revocable and irreversible.

Last week, the media was awash with the controversy surrounding the conferment of the title on the PDP chieftain which  led to the resignation of five ti­tle holders in the Shinkafi Emirate Council.

The Wambai Shinkafi traditional title holder, Dr. Sani Abdulla­hi Shinkafi, who spoke on behalf of the Emirate, insisted that conferment of titles by the Emir cannot be reversed and also a gesture to deserving recipients ex­ercised within the powers and the discretion of Emir.

He frowned and warned against playing the ethnic and religion card in the traditional exercise.

In his words; “Femi Fani-Kayode is not the only non-Muslim to bag a title from the North. It is worthy of note that several Northern traditional ­rulers had conferred titles on Southerners like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who was conferred with Chieftaincy title of Yalla­ban Sokoto, Chief Rochas Okorocha; Danjekan Sokoto; Senator Orji Uzo Kalu; Wakilin Anka, and former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who was con­ferred with the Garkuwan Manoman Zamfara.

Others include the former Minister of Sport and Youth Development,  Barrister Solomon Dalung conferred with Magayakin Buk­kuyyum; Sen David Mark as Jarumin Kaura Namo­da; Senator Victor Umeh as Jagaban Shinkafi; the APC leader, Bola Tinubu has also bagged such title with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. Why is FFK’s ti­tle different?

“There is no hatred between Muslims and Chris­tians or Northerners and Southerners, but some people who want to ignite hatred are reading political mean­ing to it. He was chosen so that we can foster unity. He served as a minister and rep­resented the whole of Nige­ria”, he concluded.

But those vehemently opposed to it insist that the former Minister is undeserving of the title because he, allegedly, sees nothing good in the North, and “insults our leaders regularly”