Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila in Zaria, condoles with el-Rufai, late Emir's family.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, on Tuesday visited the Zazzau Emirate where he commiserated with the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai and the family of the late Emir of Zazzau, Dr Shehu Idris.

Gbajabiamila, who was received by the Secretary to the Government of Kaduna State, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, and some members of the Zazzau Emirate Council, said the late Emir was a man of integrity who dedicated himself to the service of his people.

The Speaker personally delivered separate condolence letters to the governor through the SSG and the emirate council through some senior emirate council members.

Noting that the demise of the late Emir was a great loss not just to the Emirate but also to the country as a whole, Gbajabiamila said the entire 360 members of the House were sad over the loss.

"The people of this great Emirate, let me say to you that you're not alone on this loss. This is indeed a big loss to the people of the Emirate, the state and the country as a whole. I say a great loss because whenever you go to commiserate, you hear what a loss, what a loss, what a loss!

"But I say this with profound ‎seriousness because for those of us who have followed our late emir, who have come to know him, knew him for whom he was: a man of integrity, dedicated to the service of his people.

"I was here some time ago, late last year, in November, when we prayed and we sat, and it was like I had known him forever.

"Perhaps, one of the most impressive things for me was the way he pronounced my name with ease. It tells you the kind of person the late Dr Shehu Idris was," he said.

The Speaker added that: "On behalf of myself and on behalf of every single member of the House of Representatives, on behalf of 360 of us, I pay this condolence visit in my personal capacity as one of his followers and in my capacity as the Speaker.

"They have sent me here to commiserate with you. We ask that the Almighty Allah will grant him Jannatul Firdaus, that He will forgive him his sins, and that his soul will rest in perfect peace."

The Speaker was accompanied on the condolence visit by the House Leader, Rep. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, and some members of the House from Kaduna State.

Signed:
Lanre Lasisi, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria.