Tribute to Ambassador Ado Sanusi: Iconic diplomat and graceful prince

We mourn with deep sorrow, but humble submission to the Will of Allah, the painful passing of Dan Iyan Kano, Ambassador Ado Sanusi, which sadly occurred on February 26, 2020. He was buried February 27 in Kano after Janaza (funeral) prayers at Kofar Kudu – the southern side of Kano Emir’s palace, as if to […]

We mourn with deep sorrow, but humble submission to the Will of Allah, the painful passing of Dan Iyan Kano, Ambassador Ado Sanusi, which sadly occurred on February 26, 2020. He was buried February 27 in Kano after Janaza (funeral) prayers at Kofar Kudu – the southern side of Kano Emir’s palace, as if to accord this outstanding prince one final glimpse at the expansive place of his birth, where the young Dan Iya grew up in splendid royal grandeur.

Growing up in Kano, I first heard of Ado Dan Iya, as he was popularly and affectionately called, on account of his absolute loyalty and dedication to his pious father, the late Emir Muhammadu Sanusi I, who was deposed by the Northern Regional Government in 1963 and sent on exile to Azare, Bauchi State.

The late Ambassador Ado Sanusi devoted his youthful years to the company of the pious emir, an exemplary devotion that must have given him ample time for reflection and training for the diplomatic career he was to take up as a profession in the years ahead.

I first met Ambassador Ado Sanusi briefly, in person, at Pilgrims Headquarters, then at Kakawa Street in Lagos but got to know him well when he reported for duty in Jakarta in 1987, on cross posting from Riyadh. By then, he had served as an accredited envoy of Nigeria to Rabat and Riyadh.

The late Ado Sanusi brought a breath of fresh air to the mission and in no time, his gentle administrative acumen opened floodgate of increased productivity and attracted mutually beneficial interaction with the locals and diplomatic missions in Jakarta. His endearing, refined character and disposition soon beckoned Indonesian high and mighty to the mission, including notable policy movers and shakers that formed the bedrock of President Suharto’s structural and economic reforms.

Amb Ado Sanusi’s legendary, inimitable generosity reflected in all his relationships, whether official or private. Watching him closely, we all came to admire his regal dignity, gentle grace, inscrutable character and calm composure that are universal traits of authentic blue-bloodied prince.

Some of my most treasured moments in the diplomatic service were accompanying late Ambassador Ado Sanusi on official visits to Malaysia and Singapore, the two countries to which our mission in Jakarta were then concurrently accredited. In the course of these official visits, we met with many well known Southeast Asian political leaders.

Ambassador Sanusi left his dutiful, graceful footprints wherever he served – in Morocco, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Iran.

The Medical Mission House in the city of Jeddah, KSA, popularly known as ‘Gidan Dan Iya’ purchased during his stewardship of Hajj Affairs, stands today as a testimony to his vision, selfless service and humanitarian concerns for officials and Hujjaj (pilgrims), in the pre-internet era.

On a personal level, I would be eternally grateful to late Ambassador Ado Sanusi for attaching me to his senior brother, the late Ambassador Aminu Sanusi, Ciroman Kano, when Ciroma visited Dan Iya in Jakarta. The few days the former MFA Permanent Secretary spent with us in Indonesia, pictures taken and stories heard of Nigerian politics and civil service from late Ciroma, remain some of the most memorable, most cherished moments of my entire sojourn in the Foreign Service.

Unforgettable also was Ambassador Ado Sanusi’s personal invitation to accompany him to Wudil, some 35km from Kano, one Friday evening, to pay homage to the saintly Khalifa, his father, the late Emir Muhammadu Sanusi I.

My deepest condolences to all Nigerians as we mourn the irreparable loss of this unique personality, who was a rare gem among his peers. We share the overwhelming grief of his passing with all members of Kano royal family, his professional colleagues and all those who knew this fine gentleman.

Ambassador Ado Sanusi served his country well, to the best of his ability, and upheld the dignity, grace and pride of Kano Emirate and its people in all the countries he served.

May Allah SWT grant Amb Ado Sanusi, Dan Iyan Kano, peaceful rest and an abode in Jannatul Naeem……Ameen!!!

Ahmed M. Tahir sent in this tribute from Kano.