By Umar Akilu Majeri Dutse
Vice President Kashim Shettima, Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar II, and other traditional rulers gathered in Gumel for a special prayer session and the inauguration of the Juma’at Mosque as part of the activities slated to celebrate the 45th-year anniversary of the Emir of Gumel, Alhaji Ahmad Muhd Sani.
The event, held Friday at the emir’s palace in Gumel, Jigawa State, drew prominent politicians, government officials, and diplomats from across the country.
Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad Sani II, the Emir of Gumel, was appointed on December 16, 1980, succeeding his father, and was officially presented with his staff of office by the then Kano State Governor, the late Abubakar Rimi, on May 29, 1981, beginning his long reign.
Before his installation, the emir was a respected civil servant and community leader known for his integrity and dedication to public service. He was then the Commissioner of Information in Kano State during the administration of the late Governor Abubakar Rimi.
Our reporter gathered that since the time he became Emir, Ahmad Sani has championed peace, education, and cultural preservation in Jigawa, earning widespread respect as a stabilizing force in northern Nigeria over his 45-year reign.
The anniversary activities highlighted the enduring legacy of traditional institutions in fostering unity and development in the region.
While speaking at the prayer ground, Vice President Kashim Shettima, when granting an interview with journalists shortly after the mosque inauguration and upon returning to the Presidential Lodge in Dutse, the state capital, praised the vital role of traditional rulers in Nigeria’s progress.
“Traditional rulers are the custodians of our cultural heritage and pillars of national unity. Their wisdom guides our society towards peace and development,” Shettima said.
