Emir Ado Bayero Buried

Dignitaries from all walks of life arrived Kano on Friday to pay their last respect to the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Abdullahi Bayero who  was buried at exactly 6:15 P.M. Friday inside Gidan Nasarawa Grave Yard where four other Emirs namely, Sarki Abbas, Sarki Aalhaji Abdullahi Bayero, Sir Muhammadu Sanusi and Sarki Muhammadu Inuwa were all interred.

Thousands of Kano residents irrespective of social class trooped out to pay last respect to the revered Royal Father who ruled Kano for about 51 years.

Vice President Namadi Sambo led the Federal Government delegation that arrived Kano late in the morning to pay their last respect to the departed Royal Father.

Other dignitaries that arrived Kano for the Emir's burial include Speaker of House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, Inspector General of Police, MD Abubakar, Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa state, Foreign Affairs Minister, Aminu Wali, former Governor of Kano state and Sardaunan Kano, Ibrahim Shekarau, Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed, former Speaker of House of Representatives, Ghali Na'Abba and other top government functionaries, including traditional rulers.

Kano state Governor, Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso narrowly missed the burial as he arrived Kano about 30 minutes after the burial.

Glowing tributes were also paid by those who are close to him.

Emir Bayero's Chief driver, Alhaji Wada Abdulhamidu said the late Emir Bayero was a peaceful man, 'I came across the late Emir Ado Bayero when I was 10 years old. I have been working for him for over 60 years, now I am 70 years old. I have been the one driving him around. I was with until his breadth his last. I was just like a younger brother to him. He does not discriminate. He is always calm and peaceful, slow to anger and he accommodates every opinion. He never looked down at people. You hardly can see anything that perturbed the Emir. Based on his teachings to us, we also exhibit friendliness and together with people around us. He is a father of all. The Emir spent his last moment with members of his family after which he left to sleep in his room, but he could not wake up the next morning as he died peacefully in his sleep.'

Alhaji Ibrahim El-Yakubu, (82) a close associate of the Emir who grew up with him said he lost a bosom friend, 'his loss is very very painful to me. He showed me compassion, he showed me care, he showed trust and he loved me just as I loved him. You are aware he just came back from a medical checkup and he was very okay. I was supposed to be with him on Saturday, but now I cannot. He is gone and I wait until the day my turn will come, I will meet with him over there. May God give us the grace to get a successor that will live by his legacies.'

Paying his tribute to the late Emir, elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai said, 'the death of His Royal Highness, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Abdullahi Bayero is a great loss not only to his immediate family, the people of Kano, but to the entire Nigerian nation. By his death, Nigeria has lost one of its leading figures. Alhaji Ado Bayero is one of the few Nigeria's traditional rulers who ascended the throne during the First Republic who were blessed with wisdom and rich experience. He was a man of great charisma, diligence and personality. He enjoyed tremendous respect and admiration throughout his tenure as a First Class traditional ruler.'

Prof. Dantati Abdulkadir, former Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, (BUK) said it will be difficult to get somebody with same character like Emir Ado Bayero to occupy the Kano throne, 'I knew Emir Ado Bayero since I was in secondary school right from when he was a chief police officer of Kano Native Authority. Since that time, I was very close to him and I have been following him. He was a man of integrity. He was a patient man, a just leader who regarded all citizens as his sons and daughters. He never discriminated.'

Former Speaker of House of Representatives, Alhaji Umar Ghali Na'Abba spoke to our Correspondent at the grave yard. He described the late Emir Ado Bayero as a father, 'the late Emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero was not only my Emir but a father to me. He was very close to my parents and I grew up knowing him and I really cherished him a lot. The late Emir had a very important sense of honour, he was a very purposeful character. One thing I cannot forget about him in hurry is his purpose of honouring time. He would always keep with time. He was a leader who led by example. He was a very wise councilor that most of us political office holder got very wise council from him. We will miss him for that. Kano people and Nigerians will actually miss Emir Ado Bayero's sense of organizing people to do what is right,' Na'Abba stated.