*My deployment in Sokoto has proved my people wrong – Yoruba Corper
*As Tambuwal, Sultan donate cows, rams to IDPs
*NTIC Foundation slaughters 16 cows, distribute to less privileged in Sokoto at Sallah
Asked how his stay of service in Northern state of Sokoto has been, Muyiwa said, “Sir, I have been hearing all manner of things about people not wanting their graduating children to go to the North to serve their father land. This is my first time in the North and I must tell you that when I return home, there in Ogun State, I have a message to give to my people. Every Yoruba person down there must change their negative attitude towards these people in the North. If there is any behaviour by any Hausa person they do not like, they should remember there many Yoruba who also perpetrate worse attitude than that,” he said.
On annual basis the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, receives in audience on Sallah Day members of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) deployed to Sokoto State for service, particularly during the animal killing festival.
The Eid-ul-Adha celebrations this year did not pass without the Sultan’s Palace witnessing the same visit by the Youths Corpers, who were seen in the Palace on Wednesday, a day after the Sallah celebrations, beaming with joy as they were received and led into the presence of the Sarikin Musulumi by the Palace officials led by the Secretary to the Sultanate Council, Alhaji Faruk Ladan.
To make them happier, the Youth Corpers, both Muslims and Christians, were presented with what a Palace official called “Baban Rago” that is the biggest among existing rams in town, and gave them N500,000 token in addition to the presented animals.
“This not new by the practice of His Eminence towards people particularly the youths because, he always loves to have people around him. He loves them more when they are even from other parts of the country outside the Hausa/Fulani tribe,” the Palace official, who chose not to be mentioned, said.
One of the corpers, a Yoruba boy from Ogun State, who simply called himself Muyiwa, said, “I am profoundly happy to be here at the Palace of the Sultan of Sokoto. I must thank the NYSC for making this possible because if they did not post me to Sokoto, how would I have the opportunity to be with a king that everybody in the world is talking well about? I also thank my parents for not applying for my redeployment because that would have caused me the big opportunity that I have today.” He said during a chat with The DEFENDER.
Asked how his stay of service in Northern state of Sokoto has been, Muyiwa said, “Sir, I have been hearing all manner of things about people not wanting their graduating children to go to the North to serve their father land. This is my first time in the North and I must tell you that when I return home, there in Ogun State, I have a message to give to my people. Every Yoruba person down there must change their negative attitude towards these people in the North. If there is any behaviour by any Hausa person they do not like, they should remember there many Yoruba who also perpetrate worse attitude than that,” he said.
On why, despite deployment from one’s state of birth to serve amidst other tribe, Nigerian youths still do not shun ethnic and religious biases towards one another, the Youth Corpers who said he once had a debate with some co-students on similar topic told this online newspaper that, “It is unfortunate Sir. It is more unfortunate when we hear on radio while we were at home down South there that government should council NYSC because they are killing their children who are in the North as NYSC members. This is too negative to be conceived. This is untrue from what I have seen here since I came to this state. On my own, I will try my best to enlighten people to shun this anti-unity, anti-peace mentality”.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, on Tuesday had donated five cows to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Gandi town of Rabah Local Government Area of the state to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir.
The Chairman of the Zakkat and Endowment Commission, Mallam Lawal Maidoki, handed over the cows for slaughter at the camp.
Maidoki, a member of the Committee inaugurated by the Sokoto State Government on the travails of IDPs, said the gesture was to ease the pain of the IDPs in the camp.
“Sokoto State Government and the Sultanate Council are fully aware of the pain of the IDPs and always ready to support and assist in their required need,” he said.
In another development, 150 children displaced by insurgency in the North-East, sponsored by Ummarun Kwabo to further their education in the state, also benefited in the Sallah gifts.
The displaced children were given two cows and six rams to celebrate in the state.
Maidoki, who monitored the slaughtering of the animals, commended the donors, saying it would give the children a sense of belonging and feel more comfortable.
The endowment commission chairman led other members to monitor the slaughtering of cows at 86 districts, donated by the state government.
Mr Maidoki commended the District heads of Gandi, Durbawa, Gagi, Tsaki and Rara, where the team also visited to monitor the slaughtering of cows donated by the government.
Also on Sallah day in Sokoto, the Nigeria Tulip International Colleges (NTIC) Foundation slaughtered 16 cows as an extension of its meat distribution programme at Sallah for the less privileged in the state to be happy at Sallah.
Mr. Kamil Kemanci, an Executive Director, UFUK Dialogue and member of governing council of Nile University Abuja, came in from Abuja to lead the meat distribution programme.
