Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State; Senator Saliu Mustapha of Kwara Central; the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Dr Muibat Faridah Dankaka; and a former governorship aspirant in the state, Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki, were among the dignitaries that attended the fidau of the 11th Balogun Gambari of Ilorin, Alhaji Abdulkareem Laaro Buhari.
The fidau, which the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Dr Muhammad Bashir Solihu, led alongside frontline Islamic scholars in Ilorin on Friday, also featured the presence of some members of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Yinka Aluko (Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency) and Raheem Olawuyi Ajulopin (Ekiti/Ireodun/Isin/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency).
The late Balogun Gambari of Ilorin is the father of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Sulyman Tunji Buhari, who is also a one-time state chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
At the event were also the Grand Mufti of Ilorin, Sheikh Suleiman Farouq Onikijipa; Chief of Staff, Government House, Ilorin, Prince Mahe Abdulkadir; a retired Grand Kadi of the state Shariah Court of Appeal, Justice Saliu Olohuntoyin Muhammad; a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dr. Nimota Nihinlola Akanbi; and DG MINILS, Comrade Issa Aremu, among others.
In his sermon at the fidau, the Grand Mukadam of Ilorin, Sheikh Suleiman Dan-Borno, urged holders of power to always reflect on the time when they were nobody.
He enjoined those who have had their status elevated in society not get swayed by the euphoria of their present status.
The renowned Muslim preacher called on the wealthy to know that charity begins at home, saying that they need to be appreciated at home before attracting public accolades.
He also admonished the citizens to adhere to the instructions of their leaders so long that they do not contravene the dictates of the Almighty Allah
“Those who will be successful will have stories to tell. They will have to demonstrate their charity from home”, he said.
The late former Balogun Gambari, according to the Islamic cleric, was a peace-loving man, a bridge builder, and a good family man.
He called on the children of the deceased to forge a common front, sustain the good legacies of their late father, and, above all, not to quarrel over anything.
Speaking on the life and times of the late former Balogun Gambari of Ilorin, the deceased eldest daughter and director of marketing at Radio Kwara, Hajia Segilola Rukayat Alaya, described his late father as a philanthropist and a man of the people who contributed immensely to the growth and development of the Ilorin Emirate.
Also speaking, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Prince Sulyman Tunji Buhari, said his late father was a community man who was passionate about the well-being of his people, saying that he lived a life worthy of emulation and would always be remembered in the history of the Ilorin Emirates for good deeds.
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