Emir of Kano, Aminu Bayero, has described Ilorin, the Kwara State capital as his home.
He spoke on Friday when he visited Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
The governor’s spokesman, Rafiu Ajakaye, gave details of the meeting in a statement.
The monarch, whose mother hailed from Ilorin, said his trip was to receive blessings from his maternal roots.
“The purpose of my visit is to be back home, where I belong. To me, Kano and Ilorin are the same thing. Here is my home and I am happy to always be here. I cannot count the number of times I have come. But this is unique because this is the first time I am coming to Ilorin after ascending the throne of my ancestors. I thank God for that.
“I come to have the blessings of my maternal side and leaders who I believe contributed a lot to the development of life up till this stage. Whether you are from Kwara, from Kano or anywhere, the most important thing is to send the message that we are one and the same. That is how God wanted it to be.
“If God wants us all to be from one place or culture, he can make that but he didn’t do that. There must be a purpose for that. So, we have to accept that, live by that and help those that need help among us”, he said.
Emir Bayero also commiserated with AbdulRazaq over the loss of his father.
In his remarks, the governor stressed the importance of the traditional institution.
“Despite the three tiers of government, I believe traditional institution is the fourth tier of government. That is possibly why the military made the funding of the institution come directly from the local government.”
AbdulRazaq further lauded the history relationship between Kano and Ilorin emirates.
“There is a long history between Kwara and Kano States…traverses from tradition to commerce. That history is what we want to transform by your visit, it will further strengthen our bond. We really appreciate Your Royal Highness for visiting us in Kwara.”
In attendance were Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe (Kwara Central); Senator Umar Sadiq (Kwara North); Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Salihu; Secretary to the State Government, Mamman Jubril; Balogun Gambari, Aliyu Adebayo; Dan Masanin Ilorin, Suleiman Alapansapa, among others.
