Welcoming The 11th Emir Of Gombe, HRH Lamido Abubakar III

Welcoming The 11th Emir Of Gombe, HRH Lamido Abubakar III

— Sep 1, 2014 12:47 am | 1 Comment

The first Abubakar to ascend the throne was Modibbo Bubayero, the founder of the Emirate of Gombe. The second was the 9th Emir of Gombe, Lamido (Emir) Abubakar son of Lamido Umaru. And we now have as the 11th Lamido of Gombe, the immediate past Santuraki of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar; Lamido Abubakar III, (Sarki Abubakar Na Uku). He is Abubakar, son of Usman Shehu, son of Abubakar, son of Umar, son of Kwairanga, son of Bubayero.          Modibbo Bubayero founded the Emirate in 1804 and was succeeded by his son Sulaiman; followed by Muhammad Kwairanga (son of Bubayero); then Abdulkadir Zailani son of Kwairanga; then Hassan son of Kwairanga; then Tukur son of Kwairanga; then Umar Faruk Kwairanga; then Haruna Umar; then Abubakar Umar and then the tenth, Alhaji Usman Shehu Abubakar who ascended in 1984. It is now the turn of the 11th, whose historic ‘Lamidoship’ started on Friday 6th June, 2014, amidst joy, jubilation and fanfare.

For the past 11 years we used to call him the 11th (Na sha daya). And as Allah would have it, 11 days after the demise of his father, he was announced as the 11th Emir of Gombe at about 11:00am. He has become truly the 11th. That was done in the historic, ultra-modern Modibbo Bubayero Mosque established by his great grandfather and rebuilt and modernised by his late father. And Alhamdulillah, it went smoothly. No rancor. No bitterness. No any sign of problem.

The tradition in Gombe has been that whenever an Emir dies, a new Emir would not be announced until on Friday. This is because while the Emirate is built on Islam, Friday is the holiest day of the week according to Islamic tradition. And because the funeral prayer of the late Emir was performed on Friday in the night, to maintain that noble tradition, it had to take a whole week before the announcement of the new Emir.

It initially looked like just a dream. But it is not. It is rather a dream come true; a hope turned real; a vision actualised; a prayer divinely accepted. It is real. He is the Emir of Gombe; Sarkin Yakin Sarkin Musulmi. He was the heir and now the custodian of the prestigious royal throne of Bubayero.

His appointment is Allah’s making. It is Allah’s choice. And he deserves it. Not only because he is a direct descendant of Modibbo Bubayero and son of the immediate past Emir, but also, and more importantly, because he possesses the qualities required for a person to ascend to that venerated royal throne.

The humility and simplicity that are needed, the love and concern for others that are required, the listening ear that is wanted and many other open qualities that are usually enumerated as requisite for one to be Emir, are all gathered in him in a remarkably astonishing manner.

Analysis can show some interesting historical coincidences in the story of Sarki Abubakar III in Gombe. Among the Emirs, the first two Abubakars ruled for longer periods than all others.              Bubayero served for 37 years and Abubakar Umar for 48 years. We pray therefore that he will follow that path and rule for a much longer period than both of them. Also, his grandfather, the 9th Emir held the post of Santuraki before he later gradually moved to the apex of the kingdom. His father the 10th Emir was promoted from Santuraki to Emir. And HRH the 11th Emir also was until his appointment as Emir, the Santurakin Gombe.

His choice as the Lamido of Leddi (leader of the land) Bubayero is God-made. His natural human weaknesses like any mortal notwithstanding, he has been generally accepted as a humz others testify about him, a superb personality.