The first class traditional ruler, Emir of Ningi in Bauchi State, Alhaji Yunusa Muhammadu Danyaya, is dead. He was aged 88.
He was said to have died Sunday morning at the Expert Alliance Hospital, Kano, two days after returning from a medical trip to Saudi Arabia.
He passed away after spending 46 years on the throne.
A statement by Usman Sule, Secretary of Ningi Emirate Council, said the funeral prayer for the deceased will be held by 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Emir’s Palace in Ningi.
While mourning Danyaya, Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, said his legacy “will inspire future generations”.
“In this moment of grief, the Bauchi state Government, led by His Excellency, Governor Bala Mohammed, extends its deepest condolences to the immediate family of the late Emir, the Ningi Emirate Council, and the entire people of Bauchi State,” Mukhar Gidado, media aide to the governor quoted him as saying.
“We mourn with you in this great loss and pray that Almighty Allah grants the departed soul eternal peace in Jannatul Firdaus. May Allah also grant his family, the people of Ningi, and all those affected by this loss the strength and fortitude to bear the loss.
“His Royal Highness will be remembered as a father to all, a pillar of strength, and a beacon of light in our state.
“May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Ameen.”
Born in 1936, the emir had an illustrious working career before ascending the throne in 1978.
First, he attended the Ningi Elementary School, between 1941 and 1946, then Bauchi Middle School from 1946 to 1951 before proceeding to the School of Hygiene, Kano, the same year.
He later gained admission into to the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and earned a diploma in Public Administration.
He had a distinguished working record during the Native Authority (NA) period, even though he started as a dispenser at Nasaru Dispensary, Ningi.
He was a member of the Ningi Emirate Council from 1956 to 1960, counsellor for Medical and Health Department from 1958 to 1959 and member of the Ningi NA Outer Council between 1954 and 1956.
Ningi is among the six emirates in Bauchi State.
The others are Bauchi, Katagum, Misau, Jama’are, and Dass.
