The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, on Thursday, inaugurated the Organisation of Tadhamunul Muslimeen Mosque, Adogba, Iwo Road, Ibadan, built by the Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde.
Makinde had, on October 19, 2019, promised to rebuild the Adogba Central Mosque from his personal resources, following plans to pull down the former structure to allow for the development of the Iwo Road Bus Terminals.
The Sultan commended Governor Makinde for making a commitment to build the mosque and fulfilling it, saying: “When you see the way this mosque was before and it actually turned out to be this, you cannot but thank Allah for the life of Seyi Makinde for thinking this way and also doing it.
“A lot of people say something but implementing it is always a problem,” he said.
The NSCIA president-general, who conferred his name ‘Sa’ad’ on the Oyo State governor for embarking on building a house for Allah in such a beautiful manner, said the new mosque, which also has an Islamic School, would help people to strive to be more educated for the world and thereafter.
He said: “I am the one called Sa’ad, but today I want to rename you Sa’ad. We thank Allah for bringing us to Ibadan for this very important programme.
“About three years ago when I spoke with the governor on phone, he told me he was building a mosque in a strategic place in Ibadan, and I told him I know where the place is. He told me I would commission the project and I assured that I would fulfill his request.
“I have moved around the whole area here and I can tell you that this is the most beautiful structure here. Whenever you pass along here, you won’t miss it and that is what we are supposed to be doing for the people. We should build houses of Allah in the most beautiful manner.
“The mosque is not just a place of worship but a school also. Now, having an Islamiya with a beautiful mosque, we cannot but strive more to be educated for the world and hereafter. So, let us use such facilities to educate ourselves, our brothers and sisters so that we live peacefully with one another as peaceful coexistence is important to us.
“Today, we are here by the will of Almighty Allah and this is a very good work, which we believe the governor has taken up. This is a good history we want to be replicated everywhere. So, we thank you, His Excellency.”
The Sultan charged that the edifice should be well-maintained.
In his speech, the Oyo State governor commended the Muslim Community in Oyo State for its support during the March 18 governorship election, reiterating his promise to run an administration that is fair to all religions in the state.
The governor explained that when he decided to pull down the Adogba Central Mosque and a church, which both stood on the spot where the state government is building its mega Bus Terminal, there was insinuation from the Muslim Community, as some people had already begun to view the appointments made by his government as one-sided.
He said: “I went to the mosque and I worshipped with the Muslim Ummah. I told them that the mosque and the church around it will be demolished, because we already put forward a roadmap for accelerated development, which means we had to focus on the development of our infrastructure.
“I understood the fact that there was trust deficit between the government and the people. So, before we even said anything, some people were already insinuating.
“But when I spoke at the mosque that day; I saw that 90 per cent of the people believed me and every time I ran out of money building this mosque, because it was built with my personal money, I always remembered those 90 per cent who believed me that I would rebuild the mosque as I promised.
Also in attendance at the grand inauguration were the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero; a former Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed; top Islamic clerics and government functionaries in the state.
