Emir of Kano, Sanusi, gets staff of office
Jonathan, PDP leaders absent
THE historical city of Kano was agog on Saturday with pomp and pageantry as the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sunusi II, formally received the staff of office as the 14th emir from the Fulani clan, with the state governor, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, telling the mammoth crowd that attended that the qualities that singled out the new emir of Kano were his integrity, competence and versatility in Islamic and Western education.
Present at the coronation were chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including the party’s presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and national leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, while President Goodluck Jonathan as well as his vice-president, Architect Namadi Sambo and Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, among other notable members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were absent.
The former military head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, was also in attendance at the coronation ceremony held at the 1,500-capacity Coronation Hall located within the premises of the Kano Government House.
The chief Imam of Kano, Professor Muhammad Sani Zahradeen, led the emir in taking the oath with Holy Quran, swearing to uphold the tenets of justice, neutrality, fairness and submission to the state government.
Chairman of the emirate council, Madakin Kano, who performed the traditional rites amidst blaring sounds from trumpeters, singers and traditional dancers, handed over a long sword and spear to the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor and clad him in a royal attire, signifying his empowerment to ascend to the Kano throne.
Also as part of the rituals marking the coronation ceremony, palace guards fired 21 gunshots into the air to herald the coronation of the emir.
As a mark of traditional honour expected from his subjects, all members of the emirate council, districts heads of the 44 local governments and the most senior Kano prince, Galadiman Kano, Abbas Sunusi, took turns to pay homage to the emir on the spot.
While handling the staff of office to the Emir of Kano, Governor Kwankwaso prayed for the repose of the soul of the immediate past emir of Kano, late Ado Bayero.
He said the late Bayero contributed immensely to the development of the state in all facets, saying that the deceased dedicated his life to the service of humanity and protected the traditional value of the Emirate council within and beyond the country.
He, however, revealed that the process that led to the emergence of Muhammad Sunusi II was meticulous, noting that the process of his choice as the emir of Kano witnessed wide consultations.
It will be recalled that the last time an emir was formally turbanned was in 1963, when the late Ado Bayero was recalled from diplomatic assignment in Senegal to be crowned the emir of Kano.
The demise of Ado Bayero paved way for the choice of Muhmmad Sunusi II, after the kingmakers, led by Madakin Kano pronounced him as the 47th emir in the history of Kano dynasty .
Among the notable personalities that graced the occasion were the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; the sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar; the emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Sulu Gambari; president of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Niger State government, Alhaji Babangida Aliyu and his Rivers State counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi.
