Ilorin – The Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, on Friday dismissed speculations on that President Muhammadu Buhari is dead.
Shittu, who represented Buhari in Ilorin, at the formal opening of the 31st National Qur’anic Recitation Competition, said: “President Buhari is not dead.’’
The minister advised Nigerians to continue to continue to pray for the president.
“There is need to pray fervently for economic recovery. President Muhammadu Buhari is not dead, he deserves prayers for sound health as well as for the entire growth of the nation,” Shittu said.
The minister commended Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, for organising the event nationwide in the last 31 years.
He noted that the competition would further boost the spiritual inclination of the entire Muslim Ummah.
Shittu also lauded the Kwara governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, for accepting the hosting responsibilities for the 2017 edition of the competition.
In his address, the governor commended the organisers for granting the hosting right of the event to the state.
According to Ahmed, “It is pleasing to note that this year’s National Qur’anic Recitation Competition has brought together Muslim Ummah from far and wide to demonstrate our reverence to the Almighty.’’
The Vice Chancellor of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, enumerated some of the objectives of the competition to be “contribution to the sustenance of the tried and trusted mechanism of preservation of the glorious Qur’an.
“To select gifted and talented youths who will represent Nigeria at international Qur’anic recitation competition in 2017 as well as also discover brilliant Muslim youths for possible scholarship awards by governments and philanthropists’’.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the opening ceremony of the competition was attended by the Emir of llorin, Alhaji lbrahim Sulu-Gambari, some first class traditional rulers in the state and people from all walks of life.
Meanwhile, The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), says it has mobilised no fewer than 15,000 Nigerian youths to welcome President Muhammadu Buhari at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, from vacation.
The President proceeded on a 10-day vacation in London on Jan. 23 and is expected to return to Nigeria on Feb. 6, 2017.
Malam Gambo Jagindi, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President of NYCN, Murtala Gamji, made the disclosure in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
Jagindi said that time had come for Nigerian youths, who are the future leaders of the country to show love, solidarity and support for the President, who is their current leader.
“ The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has concluded arrangements to mobilise not less than 15,000 of its members to be at Abuja airport on Feb. 6, to welcome President Buhari from vacation.
“It is on record that integrity, discipline and honesty are gradually returning to our public life unlike in the past when impunity was the order of the day,’’ the spokesman said.
He berated those spreading rumours of death about the President.
He said: “we all know that they do not have the interest of our country at heart and are only wishing to carry on with the looting of our treasury in the absence of our president.’’
Jagindi said that Buhari’s assignment for Nigeria was not yet over, adding that only God could determine who lived or died.
He commended the president’s efforts to rid the country of what he termed, “undesirable elements’’ who did not mean well for Nigeria and Nigerians.
He urged Buhari to continue with the good work as the youths of Nigeria were solidly behind him.
He noted that in spite of the “corrupt mafias’’ working to undermine the anti-corruption war, Nigerian youths under NYCN would continue to support Buhari’s laudable programmes.
