Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has warned politicians against using religious gatherings to settle political scores.

He said the nation's constitution offers members of political class ample legal opportunity to actualise their aspirations and ideologies.

Governor Ahmed made the call on Saturday at the public presentation of the book titled "Ulama Al-Imarah' (Scholars of the Emirate) organised by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari in collaboration with the Centre for Ilorin Manuscripts and Culture, Kwara State University, held at Banquet Hall, opposite Government House, Ilorin.

Denigrate places of worship

He admonished the people to resist any attempt to denigrate places of worship by misguided youths at the behest of ill-advised adults.

The governor represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold stated that the devious act that occurred during Sallah, at the Eid praying ground does not represent the Ilorin city and should not be allowed to re-occur.

Also speaking, the Senate President, Doctor Bukola Saraki, who was represented at the occasion by a former Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Alhaji Saka Onimago, promised to support the Centre and commended the initiative of the founders.

In his address, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari said the book was a narrative of prominent Islamic scholars that the ancient city of Illorin was blessed with.

lhaji Sulu Gambari added that the book was also designed to chronicle the history of the forefathers of the town and to also take account of the past, the present and speculate the future of Ilorin.

Contribute to the success

The Chairman of the Kwara State Traditional Council told the gathering that the idea of documenting past scholars of Ilorin Emirate was initiated some years ago, as the centre would be useful for students of history to acquire Islamic knowledge.

Alhaji Gambari appealed to scholars and the entire people of the country to contribute to the success of the Centre by writing and compiling the works of scholars.

In his remark, the Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Malete, Professor AbdulRasheed Na'Allah, explained that the essence of the centre was to propagate and write about the culture of Ilorin as an ancient town with leading Islamic scholars.

Professor Na'Allah said the establishment of the centre became imperative because thousands of poetry were written annually in Ilorin, which required proper documentation.

Archive for researchers

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje in his remark, described Ilorin as a city blessed with intellectuals and scholars, pointing out that the establishment of the Centre would serve as archive for researchers and the entire people of the world to learn about the culture of the ancient city.

The Secretary General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Professor Isiaq Oloyede stressed the need to merge the Centre for Ilorin Studies of the University of Ilorin and Centre for Ilorin Manuscripts and Culture of the Kwara State University to achieve the desired goals.

Also present at the book presentation, were Chief Judge of the state, Justice Sulaiman Durosinlohun Kawu; State Grand Khadi, Justice Salihu Olohuntoyin Mohammed and his predecessors; Prominent traditional rulers in the state and a former Vice-Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Professor Deremi Abubakre who also served as the book reviewer.