Globacom, Nigeria’s national operator, has said that the country has lost one of its leading lights with the death of the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Abdullahi Bayero. The company sympathized with the government and people of Nigeria and Kano State on the death of Bayero. In a statement released in Lagos on Friday, June 6, 2014, Group Chief Operating Officer of Globacom, Mohamed Jameel, expressed profound grief on the loss of Alhaji Bayero, noting that the country has lost a great patriot. “We are deeply saddened by his death and wish to convey our deepest sympathies to his immediate family, his subjects, the government and people of Kano State, the Federal Government and indeed all Nigerians on the loss of this great patriot. “Alhaji Bayero was not just one of Nigeria’s most prominent traditional rulers, he was also a distinguished national icon. He was a man of peace, a devout Muslim, and a great leader who left a legacy worthy of emulation”. He noted that in his fifty-one year reign as the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Bayero contributed greatly to the development of his emirate and the country as a whole. During his tenure, the emirate witnessed great transformation from a powerful native authority into a custodian of indigenous culture and Islamic traditions. He also discharged himself creditably in the public service as the Chief of Kano Police, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Senegal and the Chancellor of University of Nigeria and University of Ibadan,” Jameel added. “He was a detribalized Nigerian and a rallying point for peaceful co-existence of tribes and nationalities in the country, and he will be greatly missed. We pray God to grant him eternal rest and grant his family, subjects, government and people of Nigeria the strength to bear the loss”. Jameel further urged Nigerians to take solace in the long and fruitful life the Emir lived and also called on other leaders to emulate the virtues of the late traditional ruler. Alhaji Bayero died in Kano on Friday, June 6. He had been the Emir of Kano since 1963.