ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE CHAIRMAN

AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE CHAIRMAN, ILORIN EMIRATE DURBAR COMMITTEE AND DANMASANI OF ILORIN, ENGR. SULEIMAN YAHAYA ALAPANSANPA, FNSE; ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2022 ILORIN EMIRATE DURBAR HELD AT THE EMIR’S PALACE, ILORIN

I feel most honoured and privileged to welcome you all to this year’s edition of the annual Ilorin Emirate Grand Durbar. Am most grateful to Allah for making today a reality, I am also grateful to all of you for honouring the invitation of His Royal Highness, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, CFR. I am happy that this year’s event attracted several guests, including policy makers and distinguished personalities, from all walks of life and from across and beyond Nigeria.

Let me proceed by expressing my profound gratitude to His Royal Highness, the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman, Kwara State Council of Chiefs, Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, CFR, for introducing this cultural festival. Since its introduction in 2018, Ilorin Emirate has never remained the same in the world of culture and general development. The annual event has continuously served its purpose in the attraction of our people to always come home as well as tourists from far and near. There is no doubt that members of the community are benefiting tremendously and in several ways from the staging of this annual festival.

It must, however, be observed that the Ilorin Emirate Durbar is gradually taking its uniqueness shape in every sphere. It is becoming totally different from how the festival is conducted in sister Emirates across Northern Nigeria. This is because our heterogeneity, peculiarities and ingenuity are increasingly reflecting clearly on the llorin Emirate Durbar.

It is pertinent for the Committee to thank the government of Kwara State under the able leadership of Mallam Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Razaq for its repeated supports towards the colourful organisation of the annual festival. We have always enjoyed the listening ears and uncommon patriotism of Mr. Governor. We thank His Excellency and members of his administration for their commitments towards the sustenance of this annual cultural engagement.

The Organising Committee is, however, appealing to the government of Kwara State to offer more support to the annual festival. The support is needed for the festival to have greater impact and more colourful participations of tourists from far and beyond the shores of Nigeria. We believe that once that becomes the lot of the festival its economic impact would become more enticing and exciting. This is because it would boost trade and tourism thereby bringing more revenues to the ordinary members of the community with attendant increment in revenue acquirable to the government.

The Emir’s procession, for the first time, took him and his entourage to the western side of the city. It was aimed at promoting sense of belonging and fraternity among indigenes and residents of the areas as they saw the Emir and his procession life and direct.

As you must have also noticed, this year’s event is quite different from the previous ones. In order to reduce the magnitude of people who converge on this ancient palace for the annual event, the Organising Committee decided to arrange large screens at specific locations across Ilorin. As we are here, multitude of people are gathered in other locations to watch this event. This is an innovation that we would continue to explore.

Cultural exhibition was also added to this annual event. It was held two days ago. It was done to expose our children to those materials that made our illustrious progenitors and we, their progenies, different from others. I am sure that those who were here on the Cultural Exhibition Day marvelled at the dexterity, ingenuity and profound intellectualism of our founding fathers and their successors. Our unity in diversity was also demonstrated as those who saw all those archival materials were challenged to also do things that would inspire generations unborn.

One other very important innovation added to this year’s durbar is the Qur’anic recitation contest. This is done to encourage Islamic learning and spiritual growth among our younger ones. Winners of various categories of the contest would be presented to the Emir who in turn would present them with various prizes.

A football championship was also added to this year’s annual durbar. The championship was aimed at promoting unity, friendship and togetherness among our youths. I am sure more talents must have been discovered as new friendships must have also been struck. I thank all those who supported the championship, which promises to be more exciting yearly. While I congratulate the organisers of the soccer championship, I also rejoice with the eventual winners. I also salute the spirit of sportsmanship of all the players and officials.

On an occasion like this one must appeal to our people to continue to see one another as brothers. The people of Ilorin Emirate are one and the same under the canopy of our father, the Emir of Ilorin. We should never allow anything to divide us.

We should remember that in unity we stand and divided we fall. Let us hold on tightly to those factors that unite us and do away with whatever that has the tendency of dividing us. Members of the Organising Committee are again appreciative of the Emir for finding us worthy of serving the good people of Ilorin Emirate in a unique way. We are most grateful for being appointed out of thousands of compatriots who are also clearly, if not more, capable to serve on the Committee. The Emir and the good people of Ilorin Emirate are assured that we shall continue to dedicate our time and energy to the services of our people.

Your Excellency, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, permit me to express the Committee’s gratitude to all those individuals who supported with their hard-earned resources despite the inclement economic realities of this time. We also appreciate all the corporate organizations and institutions, which supported this festival since its beginning. The names of those great compatriots and institutions are too many to be enumerated here. The Committee knows you as the Emir and the good people of Ilorin have taken notice of your generous supports. Your spirit of patriotism and generosity is great, exciting and worthy of emulation. May Allah continue to enrich you with more wealth and sound health.

Now that our father, The Emir of Ilorin has taken his seat after a very colourful procession around the city, I enjoined all of you to remain calm and organized for you to enjoy series of entertainments from different individuals, groups and institutions.

I wish His Royal Highness and all of you Barka Da Sallah and many more years of sound health, peace and prosperity. Once again, I thank you all and wish you safe trips back to your respective destinations.

 

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