I Have Forgiven All - Ado Bayero

By The Citizen

In the spirit of the golden jubilee celebration, Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Abdullahi Bayero yesterday said that he had forgiven everyone who offended him since he became the occupant of the office. He also appealed to those whose toes he had stepped on to forgive him.

The royal father corrected what he called the misrepresentation of his age in certain quarters. 'Some people said I am 80 years of age; no, I am 83 years old. People should not reduce my age unnecessarily,' he told the crowd which gathered at the Kofar Kudu Ground, the Emir's palace in Kano. The traditional symbolic act of forgiveness may be connected with the attack on him by gunmen on Saturday, January 19, 2013, while he was returning from a religious function in the Kano metropolis.

Two of the royal guards were killed while two of his sons were wounded. He was flown to London for medical attention and returned to Kano on Wednesday, February 27, 2013, aboard a presidential jet.

At yesterday's event, Alhaji Bayero thanked Nigerians for rejoicing with him on his golden jubilee as the Emir of Kano, noting that he enjoys good health. He also stated that he has earned the confidence of his subjects for five decades and praised Allah for making it possible for him to occupy the stool.

The Emir said a lot has happened in the past 50 years such that some can hardly be remembered. 'Some are for good and others are not, but we give thanks to Allah who has made it easier for me and the people of Kano to get through them,' he said. In the emotion-laden speech, Bayero asked his subjects to forgive him if he had wronged them because 'I have forgiven everyone that has wronged me'. He told the gathering that things had changed rapidly and 'all that needs to be done by every right-thinking person is to seek Allah's intervention and guidance in his entire endeavour'.

Alhaji Bayero urged Nigerians to pray for the prosperity of the country.

Dignitaries at the event included Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III, the emirs of Dutse, Daura, Ningi, Katsina, Gumel, and Ilorin; the Obi of Onitsha Nnaemeka Achebe, the Etsu Nupe, the Atta Igala, Shehu of Borno as well as traditional rulers from Niger and Chad republics.  Others were former heads of state Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Gen. Abdussalami Abubakar, former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the governors of Bauchi, Kwara and Nasarawa states, and speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal.

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