MESH: Sultan-led NSCIA splashes Ogun State Muslims with Zakat benefits, extends consideration to Christians

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

At the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and MESH in particular, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, on the ethnicity or on the basis of religion. What we always try to do is try to humanise humanity. That is what we have done here today.

Simply called the MESH, that is the acronym for the Education, Social and Health Mission, a non-Governmental Organisation of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) under the leadership of Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, the train delivering service to humanity stopped at Ogun State in the South West geo-political zone of the country where, on Sunday August 18, 2024 equivalent to Safar 13, 1456AH, it splashed benefits from zakat and seed funds from donor agencies on Muslims of the state.

The event saw Islam in practice as a particular lady got N1 million, unexpectedly, and one of other pre-informed beneficiaries, who got Industrial Leather Sewing Machine, got a chain of new customers that, right at the event, it could be easily projected that by next year, his hands that collected Zakat this year, will join one of the two categories either of the Zakat or Sadaqat payers in near future.

In the remarks of Dr. Abdullahi Shuaib, a member of MESH’s Board of Trustees (BOT) who represented the Sultan and also Chairman of MESH at the event, handed the high caliber and practically intelligent congregants at the H3 Event Centre, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the heart-warming messages of Leader of the 150 million-member Muslim Ummah of Nigeria during which he explained why he was in Ogun.

The Sultan, according to Shuaib, said the 2024 Zakat Distribution was the second edition to be held in Nigeria, the first of which held in April 2017 in Dutse, Jigawa State, North West Nigeria.

He said the Education, Social and Health Mission (MESH) was established by the NSCIA as an implementing entity to provide relief services or education, social and support access to healthcare service to indigent Muslims and non-Muslims alike without discrimination against anyone, anywhere in Nigeria.

He said MESH, since inception, has now touched the lives of close to more than 700 Nigerians through its support and empowerment programme that cuts across distribution of equipment to skilled individuals, whose chances of ascending to the peak of their chosen careers or trades have been hampered by lack of capacity to acquire needed equipment and capital, giving financial support to Nigerians in need of education funding and Muslim revertees.

“At MESH, we are committed to wiping the tears of the less privilege in our society especially vulnerable Muslims.  We are inspired by the words of our beloved Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.) that, “Whoever relieves a Muslim of a burden from the burdens of this world, Allah will relieve him of a burden from the burdens on the Day of Judgment. And whoever helps to ease a difficulty in this world, Allah will ease his difficulty on the Day of Judgment,” he said quoting from the tradition of the Holy Prophet Muhammad of Isam, peace be upon him.

About MESH as OMC officials praised

Hajia Khadijah Oladipupo, who is the Ogun State Coordinator/Lead Programme Officer of MESH, while corroborating the submission of the Sultan about the Mission, urged Muslims who benefited from the zakat distribution at the event to use what they got in terms of equipment and finances judiciously, so that when their businesses improve, they will be able to help others in the future.

“I beseech you to use it judiciously to improve your status, so you can help others around you and in turn pay your zakat in the nearest future,” she said, adding by appreciating the efforts of MESH Board of Trustees and leadership of the Ogun State Muslim Council, who were well represented by OMC Vice President General (Remo Zone) and former Deputy Vice Chancellor University of Ibadan, Professor Habeeb Oladipo Oduye, and the OMC Secretary General, Alhaji Kamaldeen Akintunde Esq, whose name rang bells throughout the programme for his unequalled efforts that the event would succeed.

Khadijah urged the “well to do in the Muslim communities to join hands with MESH and the NSCIA to ensure that the living conditions of widows, orphans, out-of-school children and the vulnerable are improved through economic empowerment, scholarship scheme, social justice and re-distribution of wealth.”

Awujale speaks on importance of Zakat

In his keynote address, President General of the Ogun State Muslim Council (OMC) and the Awujale of Ijebu Land, Oba Sikiru Adetona, expressed his satisfaction with the brilliant initiative that Sultan of Sokoto and his team of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs were making through the Education, Social and Health Mission (MESH), which he described as initiative of the Nigeria’s Muslim apex body to distribute zakat to vulnerable Muslims particularly during this current global economic challenges.

Professor Habeeb Oduye, the Vice President General of Ogun State Muslim Council who represented the Awujale, first raised a point of note thanking the Almighty Allah that he did not miss the august occasion he described as “never seen before” and thanked the OMC Secretary General Kamaldeen Akintunde for his mounted pressures that led him to making it.

With a promise to read the speech exactly as sent by the Awujale, Professor Oduye read, “I am delighted to be part of this event to present a keynote address, fulfilling socio-religious ceremony put together by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), through its NGO, called “Education, Social and Health Mission (MESH) and midwife by Ogun State Muslim Council (OMC) under my leadership as President-General,” he opened his speech.

The Akile Ijebu and Leader of Muslims in the state went on to describe the Zakat in hits form as a vital pillar of the Islamic religion without which Muslim faith is incomplete.

“Zakat is a pillar of Islam, the third among Allah’s injunction on adherents of the faith. In definition, it is a divinely established system to reduce poverty in the society, scripturally incumbent on Muslims to embrace and adhere to. It has a specific mode and is technically regulated, depending on the nature of the Zakat.

“The aim and essence of Zakat is to provide for the needy. Zakat is about caring and welfare for the vulnerable and downtrodden in the society. It is for poverty reduction and a way of circulating wealth for the benefit of the masses.”

He then proceeded to expressing confidence that the zakat distribution of Sunday, which is in line with the fulfillment of the third pillar of Islam, would go a long way in reducing poverty and enabling wealth creation among the Muslims who benefited who, he said, would be in position to also pay their zakat for the benefit of other Muslims in need in the future.

He encouraged wealthy Muslims to key into the initiative of MESH through payment of Zakat to empower other vulnerable Muslims in the country even as the monarch praised zakat administration and management efforts of other organisations such as the Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, Ar-Rahman Zakat Foundation and others established with the sole aim of uplifting the economic and welfare standards of Muslims and other members of the Nigerian society.

“I also enjoin the concerned categories of Nigerians to key into these socio-economic programmes as a welfare provision, relief and succor for them.

“This 1446 AH/2024 Zakat distribution by NSCIA’s MESH for economic empowerment (of artisans and other tradesmen), for educational support in form of tuition fees of indigent students and undergraduates deserve accolades and appreciation for NSCIA.

“Indeed, it is a significant and worthwhile demonstration of belief in an injunction of Islam which all conscious Muslims must abide by.”

Sultan of Owu Kingdom

The Olu of Eleyele Town and Sultan of Owu Kingdom, Oba Sultan M. Ola Yusuf, who also attended as Chairman of the Occasion, appreciated the financial support and provision of working tools and equipment to traders and artisans as well as the scholarship given to students through MESH initiative of the Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar-led NSCIA.

He then, like earlier speakers, equally implored the beneficiaries to make good use of the empowerment and support they got, while having to get ready in pursuance of being able to pay their own Zakat as part of proceeds of successful businesses in the nearest future.

“To the beneficiaries, I would like to implore you to make good use of the items provided for you so that you would also be in turn to give Zakat within the next two years of today’s programme,” the monarch said.

While lauding the efforts of the Ogun State Muslim Council under the leadership of the Awujale, Oba M. Ola Yusuf encouraged adult Muslims who are capable of paying Zakat to pay in fulfillment of their religious obligations to the society, as he noted Zakat as integral part of the five pillars of Islam as listed in the Holy Qur’an of Allah.

Why MESH considers Christians – Shuaib

Speaking to journalists after the event, Dr. Abdullahi Shuaib said, “The speech is not actually my speech. It is that of His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, who doubles as the President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs as well as the Chairman of the NGO of the NSCIA, which is Education, Social and Health Mission.

“His messages are basically being classified or categorised into three. Number one is to urge all Muslims who are better off to always demonstrate empathy to the less privilege or the haves-not, especially during this time that Nigeria is currently going through.

“Number two is that, as part of the effort of MESH, to also cushion the effects of the hardship people are facing in Nigeria today. The MESH has taken the bull by its horn to also share part of the Zakat collected and that is what we are doing here today where over N6 million is being disbursed to about 40 beneficiaries here today.

“And apart from that, he (Sultan) also directed (we have a seed fund which is from donor agencies) that we basically look at Muslim ladies who have economic challenges and one of them today is a beneficiary of N1 million to enable her kickstart any form of business she wants to do and MESH continues to monitor and then evaluation her progress.

“Then the third message is the message of collaboration with many organisations, be it Muslim organisation, be it non-Muslim organisation, Nigerians need to join hands together during this hard time to see how we can make life meaningful for those who do not have. This is a time where those that have two should be able to let go of one, and those that have three should be able to let go of two, so that these things can permeate all the nooks and craning of the Nigerian society because it has a multiplying effect.

“And the multiplying effect is how can we reduce insecurity, how can we bring about total annihilation of banditry and how can we also bring back or rejuvenate or re-enact the Nigerian secured society that we used to have in the late 70s where people can walk freely without looking back.

“These are the messages which he has directed us to pass across to all the people who have been able to attend this important event today.”

On the remarkable extension of Zakat to Christians, the Sultan’s representative said, “Well, it has always been what Islam teaches us. If you look at the Qur’an in Suratul Ashri, Allah also mentions it there clearly that ‘Allah has not forbidden you from extending the hands of fellowship to those who have not waged war against you on account of your religion, or those who have not driven you out of your home.  So, these are all very important Qur’anic messages and this is the reason why, for those of us at the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and MESH in particular, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, on the ethnicity or on the basis of religion.

“What we always try to do is try to humanise humanity. That is what we have done here today.”

Hassan Adekunle’s brief

Other highlights of the event was the Symbolic Presentation featuring data presentation of the workings of how the MESH arrived at the 40 beneficiaries that eventually qualified for the empowerment programme.

The session was handled by a former Ogun State Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Hassan Adekunle, who served as Chairman of the Committee of Education, Social and Health Mission (MESH) for the planning of the and organization of processes that led to the successes recorded at the 2024 Zakat Distribution in the Gateway State on Sunday August 18, 2024.

The DEFENDER’s reporter, which was physically on ground to cover the event, reports that beneficiaries, who were drawn from the four zones of Ogun State namely; the Egba, Ijebu, Remo and Yewa zones, included Rafiat Olayiwole, who got an Industrial Sewing Machine (Egba); and Muibat Arike Agbojo, the only beneficiary without prior knowledge of what was coming for her and who got a cheque of N1 million to help her grow by the MESH’s economic empowerment for selected women (Egba).

Other beneficiaries included Risikat Osinneye, who got a Stove with Oven (Ijebu); Idowu Munirudeen Oyekunle, who was not only given an Industrial Leather Sewing Machine but also got a buildup of customers from among the Muslim communities to patronize him (Remo); Muslimah Raji – Sewing Machine (Yewa); Yusuf Olamileke Moshood, a 300 Level Pharmacy student of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, who got N330,000 for his school fees and Roiyana Dairo Sekoni, a female Civil Engineering student of the University of Ibadan, who got N100,000 for her school fees and Shamsudeen Ismail, a graduate of Government Science Technical College, Idia-Aba Abeokuta, who got an NSCIA’s MESH empowerment of Electrical Tools Box and Electrical Belt to now operate as complete electrician (Yewa).

Dignitaries, who graced the occasion, included Egba Chief Tunji Kalejaye, Registrar, Crescent University, Abeokuta, Barrister Zakariyya Ademola Bola Ajibola, who was represented by Senior Asistant Registrar, Public Relations, Mr. Idris Katib, among several others.