· Hails relationship between Kano, Ilorin Emirates

· Why I visited Ilorin, by Kano Emir

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Friday said the traditional institutions are vital to the growth and peaceful coexistence of the society as they play key roles in the stability of the polity.

AbdulRazaq spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, when the Emir of Kano Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero paid him a courtesy visit.

“As a government we have huge respect for traditional institution. And as far as I am concerned, 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 to come directly from local government,” AbdulRazaq said.

“The reason I consider traditional institution as the fourth tier is because therein, there is the presence of the judiciary which resolves issues within the community. You have administration, you have security (system). Everything is encapsulated in that institution. You solved problems within our society. Even in the constitution of community policing, the federal government is believing on the traditional institution to build community policing system.”

The Governor also lauded the relationship between Kano and Ilorin emirates, and for the strengthening of the ties between both states especially in the area of economy such as agriculture and commerce.

“There is long history between Ilorin and Kano and Kwara and Kano States. The history traverses from tradition to commerce. That history is what we want to transform by your visit. I truly appreciate the visit of the Governor of Kano Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje who came to pay us a condolence visit after the loss of my father. He truly appreciated the history. We wish to establish some collaborations in the areas of business, education, administration and agriculture between Kano and Kwara States. We have discussed issues of agriculture, especially fertiliser and irrigation. We can learn from Kano. Since the time of Audu Bako, Kano State has led in irrigation and a lot of work has been done in that regard. We are learning from that experience and we are improving on what we are doing in Kwara State.

“This visit is also about culture. The cultures of Ilorin emirate and that of Kano are so interwoven. You can go back to the history of our emirate and Kano emirate through to Sheikh Uthman Dan Fodio. All these are available for those who want to learn about it. This visit will further strengthen our bond. His Royal Highness. We really appreciate Your Royal Highness for visiting us in Kwara.”

Ado Bayero, whose mother hailed from Ilorin, said he had come to the ancient town to receive blessings from his maternal roots.

He also commiserated with the Governor over the loss of his father AGF AbdulRazaq SAN, praying Allah to repose the soul of the sage.

His words: “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 - maternal side - and I am happy to always be here. This is not my first time of coming, it is not the second and, in fact, I cannot even count the number of times I have come here. 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.

“So, 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.”

The courtesy visit was attended by Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe (Kwara Central); Senator Umar Sadiq (Kwara North; Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly Rt Honourable Yakubu Danladi Salihu; Secretary to the Government of Kwara State Prof Mamman Saba Jubril; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Aliyu Mohammed Saifudeen; Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties Yinka Aluko; and Kwara APC Chairman Bashir Bolarinwa.

The Kano monarch was accompanied on the courtesy visit by crème de la crème of the Kano Emirate Council and top lieutenants of the Emir of Ilorin such as Balogun Gambari Alhaji Aliyu Adebayo and Dan Masanin Ilorin Engineer Suleiman Yahya Alapansapa, among other dignitaries.