Ex-NACOMYO president, Akintunde, bags Islamic title

THE immediate past president of the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO), Alhaji Kamaldeen Akintunde, has been conferred with the title of the Balogun Musulumi of Itesi in the Egba Alake area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

At the installation ceremony held last weekend in Abeokuta, the Chief Imam of Itesi Central Mosque, Alhaji AbdulGaniy Salaudeen, noted the exemplary character of Akintunde, whom he described as a respected member of the ummah locally and internationally.

Alhaji Salaudeen admonished the Balogun Muslumi to continue to use his wealth of experience to benefit Muslims and propagate Islam.

In a lecture, the Chief Imam of Gbagura, Professor Kamaldeen Balogun, urged the honoree to remain humble and seek the help of Allah in his new role as an ambassador of Islam in the community.

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Akintunde said he accepted the title based on his resolve to further serve Allah by promoting intra and inter-religious harmony within and outside the community.

“With this conferment, it is an added responsibility because this title is an opportunity to use my experience in several activities outside my community and bring it to bear on my local community, having served Islam in several capacities, both at state and national levels.

“Interreligious harmony, collaboration, networking among the various religious groups, communities, is uppermost and very important. By this responsibility, I will ensure that.

“It is a thing of joy and pride, yet a challenge, for me. I have been asked to add value to the promotion and propagation of our faith, Islam, here. I see it as a challenge even though it is a thing I have been doing. But with this conferment, it is an added responsibility, a leadership responsibility.

“But leadership is not a one-man responsibility per se; it is a collective responsibility. I will rely on the help of Almighty Allah as well as the support, cooperation, understanding and prayers of the community to ensure the success of this assignment.

“I will serve the community to this best of my ability, taking into cognizance the literary meaning of our community, ‘Itesi,’ which is the short form of ‘itesiwaju’, meaning, advancement, progress and further stability, peaceful co-existence and development in the community and beyond,” Akintunde said.