Political gladiators in Okelele/ Ibagun community in Ilorin East local government area of Kwara State,on Saturday, jettisoned partisan politics as they accorded the state governor, AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq a rousing reception at the wedding/ Walimat -l- Qur’an ceremony of the children of the Special Adviser on Strategy, Alh Saadu Salahu.
Three top notch of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alh AbdulRaheem Olesin, Alh Bibire Ajape and Alhaja Sarat Adebayo, who are all indigines of Ibagun like Salahu, attended the ceremony.
Alh Olesin and Alhaja Sarat arrived the Alagbado venue of the event before the commencement of Walimat and stayed till the end of that session.
For his part, Alh Ajape who arrived when the reception was already on, had to wait for the arrival of Governor AbdulRazaq to receive him as one of the leaders of Okelele/Ibagun community.
In a rare display of politics without bitterness, the governor and Ajape exchanged pleasantries and Ajape was made to sit beside the governor.
This medium observes that the rousing reception accorded the governor by the people of Okelele/Ibagun community stemmed from the fact that the governor has really impacted on the community through projects execution and appointment of indigines of the area into juicy positions.
The governor’s special adviser on Strategy, Alh Saadu Salahu, the Senior Special Assistant on Security, Alh Muyideen Aliyu and the Director General of Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP), Abdulquowiy Olododo are all indigenes of Ibagun. The governor only last week appointed another indigene of the area, Raufu Asude as education secretary of Ilorin East Local Government Education Authority (LGEA). The All Progressives Congress ( APC) state women leader, Alhaja Falilat Mohammed is also from Ibagun.
Other dignitaries that graced the occasion included the Olupo of Ajase- Ipo, the Balogun Alanamu, Dr Abubakar Jos, the Alangua Ibagun, Malam Sakariyau Ilufemiloye, the state’s commissioners for Finance, Mrs Florence Oyeyemi, Agriculture, Alh Abdulateef Alakawa, Health, Dr Raji Rasaq, Tertiary Education, Dr AbdulAfeez Abolore and Youth, Chief Olabode Towoju.
Others included the leaders of Ibagun Progressive Union (IPU) led by Alh Kuranga Omomeji Morogun and Barr. Raufu Ajao, former minister of State for Health, Dr Aminat Ndalolo, Ambassador Sheikh AbdulAzeez, Dr Gali Alaaya, Special Adviser to the governor (political communication) , Alhaji Bashir Adigun, Special,,Special Assistant (Special duty) Alh AbdulRazaa Jidda, Special Assistant women Affairs, Special Assistant political (central) , Special Assistant Religion (Islam), Alhaji Isiaka Danmaigoro and Senior Special Assistant, Security, Alh Muyideen Aliyu.
Chairman, Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB), Prof Shehu Adaramaja, heads of agencies/ parastals including , Rector, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin Dr Abdul Jimoh, General Manager, Radio Kwara, Kayode Aremu, Chairman, Kwara Television Service, Alh Hameed Adio, proprietor Garin FM, Barr. Mahmud AbdulRaheem, Prof Ibrahim Jawondo were also present.
Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Mohammed Bashir Salihu led other clerics in conducting the wolimat Quran session for the 24 celebrants and also offered prayers for the success of their weddings.
The chief Imam extolled Saadu Salahu’s virtues of humility, hardworking, kindness and commitment to the betterment of humanity, adding that” these good virtues endeared Salahu to all and sundry and earned him the honour being accorded him today by the low and the high in the society.”
A renowned Islamic preacher, Sheikh Sulaiman Dan-Borno, in his brief sermon, urged parents to train their children in the way of Allah.
He urged them not to allow the quest to enrol their children and wards for western education rob them of the benefits of Islamic education.
