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The founder of Darul Kitab College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Ilorin, Dr. AbdulKadir Al-Jumuah Al-Salman Oba-Solagberu, has stressed on importance of skill acquisition and vocational education among scholars of Islamic studies in a bid reduce the high spate of unemployment and economic challenges facing the country.
He stated this at the weekend during the 2024 convocation ceremonies of the institution just as a total number of 605 students comprising 595 males and 70 females graduated from the 33-year-old citadel of learning.
Dr. Oba-Solagberu who is also the first Malami Ubandoma of Ilorin Emirate noted that this will in no small measure curb immorality and guard them from getting themselves involved in acts that are capable of defacing Islam.
According to him, “Being an alfa should not be considered as a meal ticket while noting that rather than opting to be seen as ‘a jalabi man’, getting equipped with vocational education will empower and make the them become entrepreneurs and employers of labour and also make them develop skills and knowledge necessary for learning and future success.
“If an alfa who is meaningfully engaged, he will definitely not have his reputations stained by wrongdoings. Things have changed and an alfa will be prone to dishonest behavious if he is not earning salary or meaningfully engaged.
“Anyone who says he is doing jalabi is doing yahooplus. You have to get engaged meaningfully to avoid being made to do what is unbecoming, or being made to become a mere tool for the politicians.”
He further stressed that, “Propagation of Islam does not stop you from having a job. Being an alfa is not a meal ticket. Prophet Mohammed had a job, it is only when alfas ensure that they are meaningfully engaged that we can end things that are unbecoming of mallams.”
Also speaking, National President of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji Abdulmumini Ayo AbdulMalik, a retired Assistant Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, commended Dr. AbdulKadir Al-Jumuah Al-Salman Oba-Solagberu for creating a platform for acquisition of knowledge which is according to him obligatory for every Muslim.
He noted that Ilorin has gotten recognized by all as a city where Islamic education had thrived and later spread to the southwest.
Alhaji AbdulMalik urged the graduands to sustain this legacy by working towards establishment of such an institution in future.
One of the graduates, Lukman Imam Ambali said the combination of Western and Islamic education by young people who are Muslims is expected to make them unique and different.
“Having western and Islamic education will guide me and make me shun dishonest behavious because I know my religion does not support morally wrong actions” he said.
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