– Donates N150m to support Ansarul-Islam Society
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Former Senate President and Baba Adinni of the Ansar-Ul-Islam Society of Nigeria, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described the Az-Zumratul Adabiyyatul Kamaliyyah School of Arabic and Islamic Studies as one of the defining institutions and enduring identities of Ilorin and Kwara State.
Saraki stated this in Ilorin on Sunday while delivering a goodwill message at the grand finale and public presentation of the centenary book of the school, held at the Muhammad Kamalul-Deen University, Ilorin.
Saraki who was received with enthusiasm and cheers by the gathering, said the institution’s 100th anniversary was a rare milestone deserving of gratitude to Almighty Allah.
He noted few institutions in Nigeria had survived a century while continuing to grow in strength and relevance.
According to his Press Officer on Local Matters, Abdulganiyu Abdulqadir, Saraki said the occasion was a celebration of the enduring legacy of knowledge, faith and service which the institution represents.
According to Saraki, the school’s continued existence and development reaffirm Ilorin’s position as a Centre and City of Knowledge, with institutions such as Az-Zumratul Adabiyyah playing a major role in sustaining the city’s rich tradition of Islamic scholarship.
Saraki also paid tribute to the late Sheikh Kamaludeen Al-Adabiyy, whose intellectual and spiritual legacy
He said the legacy remains one of the reasons Ilorin continues to command respect for its contribution to Islamic knowledge.
He commended successive Khalifahs and administrators of the Adabiyyah institutions for expanding and giving greater expression to the vision, aspirations and legacy of the late scholar.
Saraki noted the century-old school had grown into a fountain institution from which several other institutions had emerged, including the Ansar-Ul-Islam Society and Muhammad Kamalul-Deen University.
He expressed delight at the continued development of the university and other Adabiyyah establishments, saying they have produced ambassadors of knowledge and service whose contributions continue to bring pride to Ilorin, Kwara State and beyond.
“From this Arabic and Islamic School, we now have a great society, the Ansarul-Islam Society to which I am, insha Allah, the Baba Adinni, and we have a university to which I am also associated.
“What this means is that this Arabic and Islamic school that we are celebrating its centenary today has become a fountain institution that has given birth to many other satellite institutions.”, Saraki stated.
As part of his continued commitment to the growth and development of the Ansar-Ul-Islam Society and its associated institutions, Saraki donated N150 million in support of the centenary activities and the ongoing development of the institution.
The donation added to his ongoing interventions at Muhammad Kamalul-Deen University, including his scholarship programme supporting 100 students from 100 level through 400 level, as well as other impactful infrastructural projects he has facilitated for the university.
Saraki stressed the need for sustained support for the school and its associated institutions, urging indigenes of Kwara State and friends of the state to support them consistently rather than on a seasonal basis.
He said supporting the institutions amounted to supporting religion, society, the country and the legacies of past heroes who dedicated their lives to the advancement of knowledge.
The Waziri Ngeri of Ilorin prayed for the continued growth and success of the Az-Zumratul Adabiyyah School, its associated institutions and their administrators, expressing hope that they would continue to bring honour to Kwara State, Nigeria and Africa.
The centenary celebration attracted prominent traditional, religious, political, academic and professional figures, including the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, who served as the Royal Father of the occasion; the Emir of Kano, His Royal Eminence Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero; and the Emir of Ilorin, who was represented by the Magaji Are of Ilorin.
Also present was Dr. Awwal Ibraheem, Chairman/CEO of ICMA Professional Services and Pro-Chancellor of Fountain University, Osogbo, who served as Chairman of the occasion.
Among Saraki’s entourage to the event were the PDP gubernatorial candidate and Dan-Iya Ngeri of Ilorin, Engr. Sulaiman Bolakale Kawu; former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party and Tafida Ngeri of Ilorin, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; and the Kwara State Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Issa Bawa, alongside other political leaders and dignitaries.
The gathering brought together Islamic scholars, members of the Adabiyyah community, traditional rulers, academics, political leaders and other dignitaries to commemorate 100 years of Arabic and Islamic education and celebrate the enduring legacy of Sheikh Kamaludeen Al-Adabiyy and the institution he founded.