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KANO EMIRATE UNDER H.H. ALHAJI ADO BAYERO

  • Alhaji Ado Bayero became the 13th Fulani Emir and 56th in the line of kings since Bagauda (999 AD) on October 11th 1963.
  • He was chosen to become emir following the demise of his uncle – Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Abbas whose reign did not last up to a year.  Late Emir Mohammadu Inuwa succeeded Sir Muhammadu Sanusi who was dethroned by the Northern Nigerian government under the Sardauna.
  • At the time of his appointment Emir Ado Bayero was away from Senegal – his duty post – and attending a French Language course in Switzerland.
  • Prior to his appointment as Emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero never held a traditional title as has always been the case with royal princes.
  • He is thus a run-on-the-mill public servant, banker, city council chief clerk, Chief of Police, parliamentarian and diplomat who ascended the throne of his ancestors at a tender age of thirty-three.
  • Then the Emir had full executive, legislative and judicial functions.  He had total control of the treasury, police, prison, the courts as well as being the spiritual head of his people.
  • There is no traditional ruler in Nigeria today who has witnessed such dramatic changes as to have completely whittled away his authority and power like Emir Ado Bayero.  Various Local Government reforms have stripped him of virtually all the functions the emir had at the advent of his reign.
  • His Highness has, through unbounding equanimity and dignity, continued to tag along with the times despite the dramatic changes. He is imbued with so much faith in the will of Allah and is so full of contentment that the Emir has exuded so much resilience as well as capacity to adapt to changes easily.
  • In his forty two years stewardship Emir Ado Bayero has discharged and acquitted himself, and the institution, with so much honour and respectability.  His charm, charisma and towering majesty have enabled him to shine so brightly as to make him a centre of attraction all over.
  • Kano has attained phenomenal prominence in national affairs over the past four decades as to make it a compulsive cultural Mecca for almost all visiting Heads of State and governments coming to Nigeria.  The marvelous display of such pomp and pageantry at the durbars staged during Sallah festivities by the emir and his lieutenants have given Kano a remarkable grandeur as well as unique traditional greatness.
  • Various Heads of State visiting the country requested that the Emir of Kano held durbars for them.  British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Presidents Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Leopold Sedar Senghor of Senegal, Omar Hassan-al-Bashir of the Sudan as well as Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Ghaddafi were among the many that were thrilled enormously by such durbars.
  • The cultural display is not only for foreign visitors, but also helps to hold together the various communities living within Kano.  Every religious Eid celebration is accompanied by five days of horsemanship during which the Emir and his councillors as well as courtiers ride all around the State Capital to the Old City, Government House, Nassarawa and Sabon Gari residential areas and out past. Bayero University to Dorayi, and also Panisau to meet and greet the people.

Emir Ado Bayero’s Achievements

  • Massive contribution towards the development of Islamic infrastructures including the building of mosques, schools and institutions.
  • Attends, on a sustained and continuous basis, endless graduation ceremonies of Koranic Schools.  He makes very tangible financial contributions towards the sustenance of such schools.
  • Never shuns openings of mosques even in far away locations as other States in the southern parts of Nigeria.
  • As the spiritual head of his subjects Emir Ado Bayero always ensures that only the most capable and competent are appointed as Imams in mosques within his domain.
  • Like his forbearer, the late Sarki Alhaji, Ado Bayero is a champion of women causes.  Both emirs have made remarkable contributions towards the enhancement of women education –Islamic and Western.
  • Since Islam has always been the basis of legitimacy for the traditional institution in the bulk of Northern Nigeria, Kano Emirate Council and especially Emir Ado Bayero have remained the veritable custodians of all places of worship and Islamic institutions.
  • It is the responsibility of the Emir to ensure that information about the sighting of moon is processed and passed with despatch to the adherents of the Islamic religion at the beginning and end of the Ramadan period.
  • The tafsir – exegesis – of the Holy Koran – is observed throughout Ramadan in the palace with the emir in attendance.
  • The Emir also leads other faithfuls in the observance of the Eid – Sallah festivals.  These are usually marked with durbars – mounting of gaily dressed horses, pomp and pageantry.
  • In terms of Statesmanship, Alhaji Ado Bayero’s counsel has so much been espoused, sought and cherished by all the political leadership in this country from the times of the Sardauna/Tafawa Balewa to-date.

During the unfortunate events that led to the 30 months Civil War period, Emir Ado’s diplomatic prowess and ability were gainfully applied to the positive benefit of the Nigerian federal authorities.

  • The Emir also played a pivotal role in cooling otherwise frayed nerves after the assassination of General Murtala Ramat Muhammad in 1976, thus averting another massive civil unrest in Kano in particular, and the country in general.
  • In short Emir Ado Bayero is the synthesis of patience, perseverance, resilience and exemplary character.
  • Easily a larger than life role model whose hall marks are honesty, dignity and honour.
  • He is altruistic and detests injustice.
  • Throughout his reign – now spanning nearly forty two years – he has continued to inspire one and all towards peaceful co-existence and religious tolerance.

 

 

 



 
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