The Companion advises FG on poverty reduction

THE National Amir of The Companion, an association of Muslims in business and the professions, Alhaji Wale Sonaike, has called on the Federal Government to tap into the resources of Muslims to tackle poverty.

Sonaike, during a zakat funds distribution in Lagos, said zakat could eradicate poverty and generate surplus funds to cushion the budget deficit.

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“The government has adopted different policies to alleviate poverty, including the N-Power and TraderMoni but the money given out to people is small. If the government can encourage all Nigerian Muslims to pay their zakat, they will be surprised the amount of zakat that will be generated,” he said.

He advised the beneficiaries to make good use of the funds they received and become zakat payers, too.

The secretary of The Companion Zakat and Sadaqat Committee, Abdul Kabir Baruwa, said the group was disbursing close to N4 million to about 50 people.

He said the group would ensure that zakat funds got to those that needed it.

A beneficiary, Mrs Taibat Aworodina, commended the group for the gesture.

Mrs Aworodina said she was given a shop to run a cold room business but did not have the resources to start the business.

“My sister gave me her shop to use for my business instead of hawking but I don’t have the required fund to run the business. I was given the zakat form and on getting here, I was given a deep freezer. I am happy. I pray to Allah to enrich the donors and make me one of those that will be paying zakat,” she said