Emir of Ilorin at 81: a worthy hype for a symbol of kingly authority
By Basheer Luqman Olarewaju
First quality of a great king is to be kind and gentle towards people of his kingdom. He should be tolerant of all religions. To protect his kingdom and people of his kingdom is the first duty of a King. King should possess all the administrative skills to run administrations of his kingdom. King should be away from worldly pleasures that could lead to distraction. Charity, donations & community development projects should be done for well being of people of the kingdom.
The best initiative is idea of “one kingdom”. Therefore King should try his best to bring all the kingdoms under one yoke both by Battles and by Diplomacy. King should also be a Military Commander of his army, he should himself lead his armies from front. Even after defeating the enemy he should be wise and gentle towards people of defeated kingdom. Great Kings are compassionate.
History has seen many kings. Many of them were selfish, some were entirely evil and brutal, fewer were selfless and possessed many qualities: In our own case, we are blessed with a selfless Emir. He has integrity; he never compromise on his honour and his kingdom’s honour. Dr Ibrahim sulu-gambari is among the best the Earth would have ever produced — The best kings were openhearted. They never kept the wealth to themselves or their ministers. They help people with their resources.
Gracefully, our Father can be trusted with the secrets of the state. Puppet kings lacked this quality. He is extremely proud of his home, especially, when he meets other kings. He shows to the world that the progenies of Sheikh Alimi are ever elegance. In the same vein, one would not complete his attributes without bravery. Surely, all of the great kings were extremely brave. They never feared large armies. However, he fights with complete morale and moral.
The Ilorin Emirate is blessed with sons and daughters who are making great progress in different walks of life; under the sway of Alh. (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-gambari, there are greater milestones in the cultural, socio-political and economic growth and development of the Emirate.
Like the forebears, the incumbent Emir of Ilorin is wisdom personified. His kingliness ordains innovations, creativity and farsightedness to meet the reality of the future of the Emirate without prejudice to relevance of our yesteryears historical background and religious and cultural build up. Mai Martaba Serikin Ilorin is a symbol of kingly authority.
I have learned that leadership is not a buzzword or passing fad. Leadership is part of God’s plan for the man —to seek for wisdom, discretion, and grace by humbly and fervently applying himself to the wisdom offered by those who have gone before. Ilorin is equally blessed with a leader who commits himself to bringing greatness to his kingdom. Like a spring, he is always progressive.
It is not a gainsaying that Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-gambari is a renown legal luminary in the country before his ascension on the throne. He illuminates the Emirate with his uncommon wits and brilliance. Like Martin Luther King Jr stated, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”.
Great kings had nice hearts and forgave people for their bad deeds. They had a mindset of forgiveness and believed in letting a person have a second chance. They were not naive and punished those who deserved punishment. These traits cannot be missed from the flag bearer of Sheikh Alimi bn Janta dynasty, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Kolapo Sulu-gambari CFR.
May Allah in His unending blessings continue to increase you in wisdom, tranquility and patience with sound health. Happy Birthdate Celebration, Baba.