President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Reverend Matthew Kukah, on his 73rd birthday.
This was contained in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Saturday.
Tinubu said Kukah is a highly revered priest, whose compassion for the poor and underprivileged continues to influence people-centred development policies in Nigeria and Africa.
He highlighted the priest’s sacrifice in balancing his spiritual and intellectual works with practical guides on how democracy can impact development and good governance worldwide.
The statement partly read, “Bishop Kukah’s role in the struggle for the return of democracy in Nigeria and his support for peace and harmony are remarkable.
“Bishop Kukah served as a member of Nigeria’s Truth Commission, Secretary of the Political Reform Conference, member of Nigeria’s Electoral Reform Committee, and worked assiduously to promote harmonious relationships between Christians and Muslims as Chairman of Nigeria’s Inter-religious Dialogue.”
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Sokoto introduces allowances for imams, mosques
The Sokoto State Government has introduced monthly allowances for Imams, their deputies, and Mu’azzins across the state, alongside new allocations to Jumu’at Mosques.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by the Director General of
Media and Publicity for Sokoto Government House, Abubakar Bawa, noting it as part of efforts to strengthen Islamic propagation and Qur’anic memorisation among children.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu announced the measures on Saturday at the graduation of 111 Qur’an memorisers from the Sokoto branch of the Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Foundation.
Aliyu explained that the new allowances and mosque allocations were designed to support clerics in carrying out their duties effectively while ensuring that the teachings of Islam continue to thrive in the state.
“We have also introduced monthly cash allocations to all our Jumu’at Mosques, ranging from N300,000 to N500,000 depending on their category.
“In addition, monthly allowances have been introduced for Imams, their deputies, and Mu’azzins across the state to support them in the discharge of their duties,” he said.
The governor noted that Islamic affairs remain central to his administration’s “Nine-point Smart Agenda,” ranking second only to security.
“Encouraging Qur’anic memorisation among our children will help raise a generation that upholds the good teachings of Islam in line with the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH),” Aliyu added.
He also directed the school management to identify land for the establishment of a permanent site, assuring that the state government would provide the necessary support.
At the event, Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, praised Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi for establishing the foundation and lauded scholars in the state for promoting Islamic ideals and peaceful coexistence.
Former Sokoto governor, Aliyu Wamakko, represented by Aminu Sufi, urged parents to encourage their children to embrace Qur’anic memorisation.
Similarly, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, represented by Lawal Liman, pledged continuous support for the foundation and announced a donation of N22 million alongside food items to the graduands and the school.
The religious school’s proprietor, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, represented by Ibrahim Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, said the foundation’s expansion to other states was aimed at keeping children in structured Qur’anic learning environments and reducing street begging.
Each of the 111 graduands received N20,000 and clothing materials from the Sokoto State Government during the ceremony, which ended with Qur’anic recitations and prize presentations.
