15 years on the throne: Muslim groups pay tributes to Sultan

PROMINENT Muslim organisations, including the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO), Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) and Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN), have joined the rest of the Muslim ummah in congratulating the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar on clocking 15 years on the throne.

MURIC, in a message released by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, felicitated Sultan Abubakar and commended his “giant strides and reforms” in the Sultanate and the NSCIA since he ascended to the throne in 2006.

“We note with immense satisfaction that the Sultan has been certified by all and sundry as consistently amiable, peace-loving, tolerant, stable and level-headed.

“These are qualities which have endeared him to all, not only to his Muslim subjects but to Nigerians as a whole. It is for this reason that he is referred to as the Sultan of Nigeria and not just as the Sultan of Nigerian Muslims.”

On its part, NACOMYO, in a statement signed by its National President, Sani Suleiman Maigoro and National Secretary General, Mas’ud Akintola, described the Amirul-Mumineen as a true bridge builder and strong advocate of peace.

“His coming on board has brought about phenomenal development to Islamic promotion and Muslim welfare in the country and the West African sub-region.

“His gift of leadership is legendary. He has always left the comfort of the Sultanate to meet with Muslims across all divides. He has instituted several scholarships to uplift indigent Muslim students. He will be recorded in history as the most widely travelled Sultan who personally commissioned several mosques in the country,” the apex Muslim youth organisation said.

Also, the MMWG described Alhaji Abubakar as an outstanding leader with remarkable patriotism and dedication to the well-being of the country and the citizenry.

In a goodwill message, the group stated that Sultan Abubakar had redefined leadership with his exemplary performance in the last 15 years.

The message, released in Ilorin, Kwara State, by the MMWG National Coordinator, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, reads: “The Sultan is a true leader worthy of emulation in various areas such as sacrifice of his personal comfort for the welfare and well-being of the people, religious tolerance and promotion of inter-religious dialogue with a view to promoting peace, unity and understanding among people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds.

“Sultan Abubakar has been proactive in guiding the nation’s political leadership on what is right and what is wrong.

“If all religious and traditional rulers in Nigeria could follow the path of honour being trodden by His Eminence the Sultan, the nation would be a better place to live in.

“The Nigerian Muslim ummah in Nigeria will continue to value the Sultan’s unequalled persistent tours of all parts of Nigeria to meet the Muslims, irrespective of their percentage.”

In the same vein, MMPN felicitated with its grand patron, Alhaji Abubakar, describing him as an exemplary leader, a bridge builder, humble servant of Allah and an advocate of religious harmony in Nigeria.

A statement by the MMPN National President, Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said: “His (Sultan’s) wonderful leadership role has earned him accolades from Nigeria and abroad as the people’s Sultan and youth and peace ambassador.

“His open-door policy and active participation in programmes organised by Muslims all over the country has endeared him to millions of Muslims in the country.

“The Sultan, for the first time in the history of the Sultanate in Nigeria, has created many interventions geared towards improved socio-economic cum spiritual welfare of Muslims and humanity in general.”