By Hussaini Ibrahim
Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, on Sunday attended the grand finale of the Ganduje Foundation Inter-Local Government Qur’anic Recitation Competition, urging participants to remain committed to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an beyond the contest.
Yusuf, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo, spoke at the closing ceremony of the five-day competition held at the Ammani Event Centre in Kano.
The event attracted Islamic scholars, teachers, parents, students and other dignitaries from across the state.
Addressing participants, Garo congratulated the winners and encouraged those who did not emerge victorious not to lose hope, saying the competition should inspire them to deepen their knowledge of the Holy Qur’an.
“You should not be demoralised. This competition should inspire you to further strengthen your dedication and commitment to the Holy Qur’an,” he said.
The deputy governor said participants should not regard winning the competition as the ultimate achievement, stressing that the real reward lay in living by the teachings of the Qur’an.
“Be good ambassadors of Islam. Be trustworthy, loyal and considerate wherever you find yourselves,” he said.
He described the Holy Qur’an as the divine guide for humanity, adding that those who remained steadfast in its teachings would enjoy Allah’s blessings in this world and the hereafter.
“Whoever holds firmly to the Holy Qur’an will enjoy Allah’s blessings in this life and in the Hereafter,” Garo added.
He described the annual Musabaqa as more than a recitation competition, saying it had become a platform for promoting discipline, patience, perseverance, good morals and devotion to Islam.
Garo also commended parents for encouraging their children to acquire Islamic knowledge and praised the founder of the Ganduje Foundation, former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and his wife, Prof. Hafsat Abdullahi Ganduje, for sustaining the annual competition.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Ganduje Foundation Musabaqa Committee, Malam Rabiu Musa Garko, thanked the deputy governor for representing the governor at the event and congratulated all participants for their performances.
He expressed optimism that contestants from the foundation would excel at the forthcoming National Qur’anic Recitation Competition.
After the event, Garo travelled to Gwarzo Local Government Area, where he served as waliyyi (guardian) and wakili (representative) during the wedding fatiha of the children of Alhaji Sunusi Kutama.
The marriages solemnised included those of Zainab Sunusi Kutama and Muhammad Ghali Usman Kutama, Mariya Sunusi Kutama and Abdulrahman Saidu Kutama, as well as Nura Sunusi Kutama and Nafisa Darma.
The deputy governor congratulated the newly married couples and their families, praying for peaceful and prosperous marriages built on patience, mutual respect and understanding.