…as Muslim Community, Lotus Bank launch ‘IBILE Muslim Zakat Foundation’
Lagos State government has said it is working on passing a law that will regulate the proliferation of alms begging in the state.
This was made known by the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, during the launch of ‘IBILE Muslim Zakat Foundation’ by the Muslim community in the state in collaboration with Lotus Bank.
The Speaker disclosed that the Lagos State House of Assembly is already considering a law to ban street begging with considerations for a more organised and decent way to support the less privileged.
“We are coming up with a law that will regulate such menace in our society. We will empower the government and foundations to collect the donation on behalf of the people, and people can in turn reach out to them, instead of being on the streets,” Obasa said.
“By doing that, anybody who goes against this law by putting people, particularly children, on the street to beg will face the consequences,” he added.
Obasa, while commending Lotus Bank and Ibile Foundation, explained the benefits of Zakat and Sadaqah, saying they are very essential to eradicate poverty from the society.
“It is well stated in Holy Quran that we must always give. If you are blessed by the almighty Allah, you must reach out to your family members and by extension, to every other member in the society,” he said.
Lotus Bank with the Muslim Community in Lagos kicked off the poverty alleviation initiative tagged “Empowering Communities Through Zakat, Sadaqah and Waqf” with the official launch and public presentation of the project called ‘Ibile Muslim Foundation’.
The event held on Saturday at the Main Auditorium, University of Lagos, attracted influential Muslim personalities with the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, as special guest.
Governor Sanwo-Olu who was represented at the event by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, commended the organisers and enjoined Muslims to reach out to the less-privileged and create lasting impacts that will be felt for generations to come, adding that through the payment of zakat, sadaqah, and waqf, poverty eradication and empowerment to the needy in the society will be achieved.
Earlier in his address, the Chief Imam of Lagos, Sheikh Oluwatoyin Sulaimon Abou-Nolla, stated that the Foundation is not just an organisation but a beacon of hope and symbol of collective responsibility towards one another and the development of the community.
Abou-Nolla emphasized that Zakat and Sadaqah were integral to faith, stressing that the Foundation hoped to extend assistance to those in need, support the vulnerable, and foster solidarity within the community.
“Calling it ‘IBILE’ is just a nomenclature of togetherness among people in Lagos. The state operates in five divisions of Ibile clusters that include Ikeja, Badagry, Lagos Island, Ikorodu and Epe. It is a format we work with. It is not politics, but a pure Islamic project with no segregation. The main aim is to create impact in the society,” he said.
Sheik Abou-Nolla explained that it is not about religion, noting that it is about rendering service to humanity regardless of the structure the Foundation is using.
Mrs Kafilat Araoye, the Managing Director, Lotus Bank and member, Board of Trustees, IBILE Muslim Foundation, said, “Our role here is too broad. One is to support the Foundation itself financially and another is giving administrative support that includes helping to get office space. This is where we play a big role because we are experts in Islamic financial standards.
“We will also give them technical support to ensure that the Foundation is set up properly, and to follow Sharia and Islamic principles of managing such funds. In our sponsorship role, we do this to empower people and to take beggars off the street.”
She noted that the initiative is not a palliative gesture but permanent solutions to eradicating poverty in the society.
“As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, we will ensure that we abide by the Islamic principles of accountability. We will also engage in sourcing supports from multinational companies to raise fund for the sustainability of the Foundation. As far as there is governance and accountability, there would be sustainability,” said Araoye.
She enjoined other states to key into the initiative.
