Date: 2018-04-01

All roads led to Ningi town in Bauchi State yesterday, as the Emir of Ningi, Alhaji Dr Yunusa Muhammadu Danyaya celebrated his 40th anniversary on the throne. The 40th anniversary celebration, which held at the Danyaya Square, Ningi, attracted people from all walks of life and several dignitaries including the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who was in company of Senators Nazif Gamawa (Bauchi North) and Senator Hamman Misau (Bauchi Central) among other senators and members of the House of Representatives.

Speaker Yakubu Dogara was conspicuously absent at the occasion. The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu at the occasion, represented President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Senate President Bukola Saraki, said they were in Ningi to celebrate with the emir on his 40th anniversary on the throne, saying that Ningi and Ilorin emirates share similarities that date back to the Jihad of Sheik Usman Dan Fodio. Saraki prayed God to grant the emir long life and prosperity. The State governor, Mohammed Abubakar was represented by the Speaker of State House of Assembly, Honourable Kawuwa Shehu Damina, with the Secretary to the State government, Muhammad Nadada, and members of the cabinet, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Alhaji Uba Ahmed Nana and other APC leaders in attendance.

The occasion attracted several prominent traditional rulers across northen Nigeria including His Eminence, Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Elkanemi. Speaking at the event, President Buhari congratulated the Emir for being the longest serving emir of the emirate, adding that the Emir is known for excellent values of integrity, honesty and justice.

The President said that his subjects are also known for being industrious and brave and prayed God to give the traditional ruler longer life. Governor Abubakar praised the Emir for bringing unity and progress amongst the people of the Ningi emirate which comprised of Ningi and Warji communities. Abubakar pledged to bring development to the people of Ningi emirate.

Also speaking, the Emir of Kano traced the historical ties between Ningi and Kano emirates to hundreds of years before the former migrated from Kano, saying the relationship has blossomed over the years as a result of intermarriages and trade between the two.

Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Abubakar Sa'ad, prayed that the emir of Ningi will live to celebrate 50 years on the throne and challenged leaders to emulate the emir and discharge their responsibilities. He however lamented that politicians flooded the town of Ningi with their posters and urged the people to respect constituted authority. In his remark, the Emir of Ningi thanked the multitude that graced the occasion of his 40th anniversary on the throne. Danyaya said that 40 years on the throne was a blessing from God and urged the people to play politics with decorum as 2019 general election approaches.

The traditional ruler, who is now in his 80s, called for unity and peace among Nigerians, saying that the large turn out of traditional rulers on his 40th anniversary, showed that there was unity among traditional institutions in the country. The Emir reminded the government about their constitutional responsibility which he said emirs are doing more than what was sought for in the constitution.

He opposed state police saying that tradition rulers should be given more roles to quell the herdsmen –farmers' clashes in parts of the country lamenting that traditional rulers are not being accorded the respect they deserve. Danyaya also criticised the presidential system of government being practised in the country and called for its replacement with the parliament system. He commended those who attended and graced the occasion and thanked the Sultan of Sokoto and Shehu of Borno for their exemplary leadership.