Emir of Kano
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, is scheduled to return to the country this week, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) , Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has said.
This came as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Justin Welby, yesterday visited the Emir in his London home.
However, Sanusi in his sympathy visit to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, on the recent inferno that gutted part of his palace last month, said the Kano monarch had fully recovered and sent his warm wishes to Nigerians.
The CBN governor, expressed regret over his late coming on the sympathy visit which he said was due to official engagements, however, expressed joy that the incident did not involve any loss of life.
He used the occasion to thank the monarch for his presence during his turban ceremony in Kano last year and disclosed that the Alaafin would always earn his support and respect as a foremost monarch, praying that God would give him long life and the grace to withstand the challenges of life.
Responding, Adeyemi said he was saddened by the loss suffered in the incident, but thanked God that it did not happen in the night when more than half of the residents of the palace would not have been able to escape unhurt.
While thanking the CBN helmsman for making it to his palace despite his tight schedules, which he acknowledged were enormous, the Alaafin urged the people not to abandon palaces in the country to the traditional rulers alone.
Meanwhile, the visit by Welby’s was aimed at commiserating with the Emir on the recent attack on him in Kano, which claimed the lives of some of his aides.
The Archbishop, who was introduced to the Emir by the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Dalhatu Tafida, said the Archbishop was a good friend of Nigeria.
The Archbishop, who sat close to the Emir during the visit said he came to commiserate with him.
He said about six or seven years ago when he was in-charge of the cathedral church in Kano, the Emir was gracious enough to receive him, adding that today he was here again to thank God with him for surviving an attack in Kano.
“I am here to bring my condolences on the disgraceful and atrocious attack on his royal highness and on the loss of some of your staff which is a great scandal.
“I rejoice that his royal highness was unharmed in this dreadful business and bring my condolences and the assurances of my prayers to you and all those who are carrying out the good work on peace and reconciliation and seek to bring Nigeria where it suppose to be on strength and prosperity against terrorism,” the archbishop said.
The archbishop, however, brought to the Emir a small presence-the Library Lambeth Palace magazine.
He said Lambeth Library was one of the greatest Libraries in Great Britain with books and treasures dating back to 10th Century. “I have signed it with my greetings and condolences,” he told the Emir.
Responding to Welby’s gesture, the Emir who spoke through one of his sons, Chiroman Kano, Sanusi Ado Bayero, as the interpreter, said he appreciated the visit and congratulated the archbishop on his new position as the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
“We are happy on your new appointment and I wish you God’s guidance and blessing on the work and the challenges ahead of it. I appreciate very much your love and friendship for the people of Nigeria.”
