Recent tensions between Christians and Muslims and between different Muslim groups have left scores dead in the north Nigerian state of Bauchi. The neighbouring state of Kano - Nigeria's most populous with over 10 million people - has also known religious riots, the army having to restore calm in 1980. Kano's relative peace today is due, in no small measure, to its Emir, the traditional Muslim ruler who holds the allegiance of about 80 per cent of the state's inhabitants.
As I waited for my audience with Alhaji Ado Bayero, the 13th Emir in the Fulani dynasty, I took in the details of the imposing 800-year-old palace with its towering mud walls, decorated with traditional Hausa motifs. As you enter the different sections of the palace through successive gates in the walls, the palace almost seems to communicate with you. Inside the courtyards are great trees, giving a feeling of peace and refreshment. The high ceilings and thick walls ensure that the rooms are cool in an area where temperatures can soar to 50 degrees. Traditional furniture and dressings complement the telephones and television sets.
Suddenly some men in colourful robes scramble to the doorway leading to the courtyard. I hear songs of praise and then, almost immediately, I catch a glimpse of the Emir entering his throne room. The look on the faces of the people tells me that it is more than duty that holds them to the Emir.
I am somewhat nervous as I enter the throne room but he welcomes me with great warmth, 'I hope you had a good night's rest.' So the stories I have heard about his ability to make everyone comfortable in his presence prove to be true.
Alhaji Ado Bayero made history by becoming the youngest Emir of Kano in 1963 at the age of 33. He is the 56th ruler since Bagauda, first king of the Habe Dynasty, who ruled Kano for 64 years from 999 AD and is credited with laying out the present city. The Emir's people, the Fulani, emigrated from north Africa and established Muslim rule in 1807. The emirship is not directly hereditary but as the Emir's father was the 10th Emir, he was brought up as a prince - with much discipline.
Educated in Arabic studies, administration and agriculture, Ado Bayero worked as a clerk with the Kano Native Authority and the Bank of West Africa in pre-independence Nigeria. In 1956, widely respected for his clarity of thought and purpose, he was elected to the Northern House of Assembly. But he relinquished this position when he took over from his brother as Chief of Native Authority Police.
In 1962, two years after Nigeria's independence from Britain, he was appointed Ambassador to Senegal. But, to his disappointment, the kingmakers cut short his diplomatic career when they named him Emir the following year. He believes that Allah's plans always work out. So he yielded, trusting that it was the right thing to do. 'I just answered to the call of duty and I am glad I did,' he comments.
In 1967, a civil war began in Nigeria, when the largely Christian Ibos tried to secede. It lasted two-and-a-half years and an estimated million died. Many Ibos were living in Kano at that time. Alhaji Bayero took a considerable risk in deciding to shelter some of the Ibos and others who were likely targets. He is characteristically humble when he talks of how 'we' helped them first to leave Kano and after the war to settle down again in their homes. 'We knew the war was temporary. We knew we would live together again as brothers and sisters when it was all over. So we did what we saw fit for the sake of safety and continuity of our lives together.'
In recalling his role he refers to the injunction to all Muslims not to discriminate. Not all traditional rulers at that time were so compassionate.
For the Emir, his religion is his life. Islamic scholars maintain that there is no division between religion and the state, life is a whole. So the Emir is responsible for the religious, judicial and practical needs of his people. His day begins at about 5.30 am with his first prayer and meditation. This, he says, helps him to maintain his discipline through the day. His son, Alhaji Sanusi Ado Bayero, attributes his 'calm and charm' to this. The Emir says that he draws inspiration, too, from the many books he reads, both in English and Arabic. He is a man of deep spiritual conviction.
He believes that if all believers practised their faith in the way they lived, there would be far fewer problems in today's world. So he champions what he sees as positive moves wherever they come from. In 1987, for instance, following religious violence in the neighbouring state of Katsina, he hosted a conference organized by Moral Re-Armament which aimed to foster better understanding between the largely Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south of Nigeria. The Emir spoke from the same platform as the retired Bishop Kale of Lagos and the Anglican Bishop of Kano. With one voice they called for greater unity among Nigerians. Hoping that more leaders might catch this vision, the Emir hosted a follow-up conference in 1988. This included many traditional rulers, who as custodians of Nigeria's culture know how to pass on the message of unity. 'A determined minority under God can do a lot,' says the Emir.
As Emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero is ruler and guardian of his people, Commander of the Faithfuls and President of the Emirate Council, whose responsibilities include advising the government, coordinating development plans of local government, determining religious matters and controlling traditional and chieftaincy affairs. The Emir does not just administer, he attends to his subjects and councillors on a daily basis. He does not delegate duties unnecessarily. Aisha Allen, a converted Muslim, speaks of him as 'a father more than just a king'. Alhaji Aminu Mengwa, one of his district heads, describes him as 'the same to everybody; sympathetic, fatherly, kind and helpful'. Once when Mengwa was in hospital for 13 days in London, instead of sending assistants, the Emir visited him twice every day.
All this, the Emir admits, adds up to a hectic schedule. 'I have to see people with different complaints from all over the emirate, sometimes from over 100 miles away, with enormous problems needing attention or help of some sort,' he says. 'Sometimes it is a bit frustrating to have somebody come in every day and be sent to one place or another. In the end, however, we get help from different sources, though it occasionally takes a long time.'
His approach has earned him respect even outside his domain. So he can affect many other situations in the country. It is noticeable that he is one of the few traditional rulers who hosts foreign leaders such as Margaret Thatcher from Britain and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
Recently the Emir played host to Prince Philip, President of the World Wide Fund for Nature International. The environment is one of the Emir's main interests, 'given to us by God to enjoy, protect and preserve for generations to come'. Over the last two decades, the Emir has spearheaded campaigns to counter the southward encroachment of the desert. He has an infectious joy in planting trees and encouraging others to follow suit.
He also has great conviction for the young people in this country where, it is estimated, half the population is under 25. After watching a play by young Nigerians who aimed to provide answers to the corruption in our society, he challenged them to take it round the whole country. He gave them accommodation in the north and helped finance them. 'The future will be shaped by the youth and whatever choices you make now,' he says, addressing me as a representative of the younger generation.
Alhaji Ado Bayero has, through his humanity and boldness, won the respect not only of his own people but of many other Nigerians. In the face of modern developments and political upheavals he has assumed the role of custodian of his people's cultural heritage and champion of the best of traditional and new ways.
