SOSG Backs Multi-million Caliphate Studies Center In Sokoto Varsity

Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state has reiterated his administration’s commitment to the successful take-off of a Caliphate Studies Center (CSC) to be domiciled at the Sokoto State University, Sokoto.

Already the plan to set up the center, according to the Sultan of Sokoto, who is also the initiator of the idea, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has got the boost of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), which has set aside N1 billion for its take-off.

This is as the state government also set aside N600 million for the funding of Islamiyya schools under the purview of the state Arabic and Islamic Education Board (AIEB), for which a law is in the pipeline to upgrade it to a Commission.

Gov Tambuwal disclosed these on Thursday at the closing ceremony of the 36th edition of the State Level Qur’anic Recitation Competition, 2021, held at the Sultan Muhammadu Maccido Institute for Qur’an and General Studies (SMMIQGS), Sokoto.

The drive to institute the CSC, noted the Governor and the Sultan, is to ensure that the legacy of the more than 200 years old Islamic Reawakening ideology, philosophy and virtues diligently researched and copiously documented by the forbearers of the 18th century Islamic movement, is taught and further researched.

“Sokoto state government has already keyed into this remarkable initiative by the Sultan which Islamic scholars have consistently recommended over the years. 

“Consequently,” the Governor pledged to “personally sponsor the recording and wide distribution of the recitations of outstanding reciters in such competitions so that local contents of such feats could be circulated and used locally instead of depending on foreign ones for pedagogy,” adding that the state government would also make it a deliberate policy that such exercise should be sustained by successive governments.

He also stated that acting on the suggestion of the Sultan, a Sokoto edition of the Holy Qur’an will soon be published and circulated to facilitate and simplify the learning and reading of the Holy Qur’an.

Attributing the ongoing bandits menace in the state and across the Northern region to inadequate knowledge of the teachings of the Qur’an or total ignorance of it, the Governor appealed to the people of the state to seek in-depth knowledge of the Qur’an and cooperate with the security agencies in the fight against insecurity.

In his remarks, Sultan Abubakar who applauded the efforts of the state government in promoting Islamic education and development also suggested that the CSC, upon full establishment, should be integrated with the SMMIQGS.

He also called for prayers by all and sundry on the current challenges of insecurity in the state and across the nation.

Highlights of the statewide Qur’anic recitation competition, which featured 560 competitors were the distribution of prizes including cars, motocycles, furnitures, fridges, sewing machines, laptops, bicycles, and cash among others, to the winners.

Hassan Usman and Sumayya Bello from Bodinga and Sokoto North local government areas emerged overall winners in the category of the memorization and exegesis of the fourth quarter of the Holy Qur’an.

In addition to gifts of cars and cash, both were turbaned as ‘Outstanding Reciter of the Year 2021 by Sultan Abubakar. 

In the memorization category of the fourth quarter of the Holy Qur’an without exegesis, Bello Suleiman and Zainab Almustapha Tambari from Wamakko and Sokoto North local government areas respectively, emerged the winners.

They got cars, furniture and cash prizes respectively, just as the guest of honor, Sarkin Zamfaran Anka, Alhaji Attahiru Muhammad Ahmad II donated N1 million to be distributed as prizes and gifts to the outstanding contestants, judges and facilitators.

Many other philanthropists donated money and gift items.