Gov. Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State has urged Qur’anic memorisers and other Muslims to preach peace and religious tolerance for increased brotherhoods and national development.
Aliyu made the call at the graduation ceremony of 110 Qur’an memorisers from the Sokoto branch of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi Islamic School on Saturday in Sokoto.
He said no meaningful development can take place in an atmosphere of hatred, division, or religious extremism.
The Governor explained that his administration had prioritised the promotion of morals, religious education and enhancing other spiritual centres across the state.
Aliyu said the Hisbah board was reactivated while many Jumuat Mosques were rehabilitated, introduced stipends for Mosques’ maintenance and the provision of Ramadan feeding support to Islamic institutions, among others.
He pledged to allocate a land for the construction of the permanent site of rhe school in recognition of its present site and urged wealthy individuals to support Islamic education at all levels.
In his remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, urged the followers of all faiths to focus on shared values of love, compassion, and respect for human dignity.
Abubakar said there were universal principles that were binding humanity together, regardless of doctrinal differences as Allah created human beings to complement one another.
He commended the school initiators, proprietor and teachers for their dedication, unwavering commitment and resilience that enabled the students to memorise the Holy book.
He enjoined the graduates to consider their position as first step in Islamic education because the religion is vast with many branches of studies.
Abubakar further enjoined the students to enrol into formal schools and Universities to study professional courses to be self-reliant
He called on political leaders to lead by example by promoting inclusiveness and fairness in governance.
In his remarks, the School Proprietor, Alhaji Kabiru Mu’azu-Jodi, thanked Aliyu, Sultan, parents and others for their support the school.
He promised to continue to live up to the expectations by ceaselessly promoting religious discipline.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sheikh Ibrahim Dahiru-Bauch led other scholars to offer prayers for the nation’s peace and stability as well as presented awards to the graduating students.
