Adugba Masjid: A place where physical development was combined with religious structures.
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• Sultan Makinde imposes harmonious coexistence on Nigerians.
The need to rebuild and expand the transportation system and give the state much-needed infrastructure upgrades led the state government to include the construction of bus terminals in its infrastructure revolution agenda.
Due to its advantageous location, Sulfur Road was designed with one of its terminals as a destination. In order to build the terminal on the Sulfur Road axis, many structures had to be given away for development.
One such structure or monument that had to make way for development is the Adogba Central Mosque. This mosque, which was one of the heritage sites of the Haramain Islamic Foundation, was taken over by the Tadamnur Muslim Mosque Organization after the Islamic Foundation left the country.
The demolition of the historic religious center was a daunting task in the eyes of Governor Seyi Makinde. Against this backdrop, Makinde had to convince the mosque’s leadership about relocating the religious center, promising to rebuild a new one with personal funds.
And furthermore, the mosque leaders acceded to Makinde’s request to set up a modern motor park along a major highway.
And the governor fulfilled his promise to begin construction of the mosque on Thursday, November 16, 2023. Built with state-of-the-art equipment, the mosque houses an Islamic school, an Islamic center and can accommodate thousands of worshipers at a time. time. It consists of an Islamic center, a research library, an event hall, and a nursery.
Governor Makinde invited notable people from home and abroad for the inauguration ceremony. Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), who commissioned the construction of the mosque, appealed for harmony among religious believers.
The Sultan implored Nigerians to continue praying for religious harmony, political stability and peace around the world. The Sultan commended Governor Makinde for his efforts in building the mosque and making it a reality, saying: That’s exactly what happened. I cannot help but thank Allah for the life of Seyi Makinde who thought and acted in this way. Many people say something, but doing it is always a problem. ‘
The NSCIA Secretary-General, who bestowed the name of “Sa’ad” on the Oyo State Governor for initiating the construction of a house for Allah in a very beautiful manner, said that the new mosque, which also houses an Islamic school, will serve the people of the world and beyond. , strive to be more educated.
he said: “I am called Saad and today I would like to change your name to Saad. Thank you Allah for bringing us to Ibadan for this very important program .
“About three years ago, when I spoke to the governor on the phone, he told me that he was building a mosque in a strategic location in Ibadan, and I told him that I knew where that location was. He said he would ask me to do the project, and I promised to meet his request.
“I’ve walked all over here and I can tell you this is the most beautiful structure. Whenever you pass by here, you don’t miss it. That’s what we should do for people. We should build the house of Allah in the most beautiful way.
“Mosques are not just places of worship, they are also schools. Now that we have an Islamia with beautiful mosques, we have no choice but to work harder to educate the world and our future. , Peaceful coexistence is important to us, so let us use such facilities to educate ourselves and our brothers and sisters to live in peace with each other.
“We are here today by the will of Almighty Allah and we believe this is a very good job and the governor has taken it on. This is a good history that I would like to see. Now, I would like to thank Your Excellency.”
The Sultan insisted that the building should be well maintained. In his address, the Oyo State Governor explained that when the state government decided to demolish the Adogba Central Mosque and Church, which was erected on the site where a huge mosque was being built: At the bus terminal, there were insinuations from the Muslim community, as some people had already begun to see the government’s appointment as unilateral.
The governor likewise emphasized that apart from building physical infrastructure, his administration also believes in building spiritual infrastructure to reconcile the people with God who will continue to contribute to the development of the state.
He said: “I went to the mosque and prayed with the Muslim ummah. I told them that the mosque and the churches around it would be demolished, because we have Because we have already laid out the roadmap, which means we have to focus on developing the infrastructure.
“We understood the fact that there was no trust between the government and the people. I mean, before we said anything, some people had already started hinting.
“But when I spoke in the mosque that day, I saw that 90 percent of the people believed me, and every time there was no money to build this mosque, it was built with my personal money. So I always remembered that I believed and 90 percent of rebuilding the mosque promised.
“We’re here today, and I think everyone knows this story. Actually, this project was completed before the election. But I was reelected because I’m a Christian. Some said it shouldn’t.
“Today I can tell the whole world that I received over 70 per cent votes from the Muslim community in Oyo State.
“Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Islamic leaders and the community for believing in us and for the solemn commitment that we will have in the next three years and months to run a government that will resolve any inclinations.” I want to make a promise,’ and make sure people get the rights they deserve. ”
Explaining further, the governor said that after his administration had begun large-scale construction of physical infrastructure by connecting all regions in the state with good roads, it would also improve the mental health of the people by building what he termed spiritual infrastructure. He argued that it is essential to also respond to needs.
He said the government was also working to improve the so-called “gastrointestinal infrastructure” by injecting billions of naira into the state’s economy every month through on-time payment of salaries and pensions and implementing policies. Ta. Good results have been achieved in the areas of education and health.
Engineer Makinde thanked Muslims in the state for supporting his administration, stressing that the government had taken the decision to demolish and rebuild the mosques to accelerate the development of the state. He commended the support of Oyo State’s Muslim community in the March 18 governorship election and reiterated his promise to run an administration that is fair to all religions in the state.
Lieutenant Governor of Bar State. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, while highly praising the Sultan of Sokoto whom he described as a unifier, similarly praised the governor for fulfilling his promises.
Also, Alhaji Daud Makanjuola Akinola, Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta States, praised Governor Makinde for investing his own money to spread Islam and encouraged other leaders to do so. He asked them to emulate their virtues and become a source of blessing for religion.
He said the governor’s act was unforgettable in the history of Oyo State. Mr. Akinola said, “We gather here today to celebrate this mosque, which our benevolent governor personally built with his own funds. How do you tell a Muslim apart? If we award him the title of Amir Mumin of Oyo State, I think he deserves it. If he knows the value of this mosque, which was built by an individual with his own money, then he deserves it all. I can say that there is.”
In his sermon, Sheikh Mudatir Badar, Chief Imam of Oluyol Estate and surrounding areas, preached the importance of fulfilling promises, which prompts the blessings of Almighty Allah and forgiveness for the past, present and future. He said that’s because it would become a problem.
The inauguration ceremony was also attended by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero. Mr. Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, former Federation Service Director; Islam’s highest cleric and government official of the state. Guests also included the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Mohood Lekan Balogun, represented by Oba Hamidu Ajibade, and many others. They all came to witness the revitalization of the popular Adogba Mosque.
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Source: guardian.ng