The Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali and the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Shehu Omar were among eminent Nigerians honoured at the weekend with Islamic merit award by the Council of Muslim Organizations (CMO). Also on the list of the awardees were the immediate past coordinator of CMO, Late Prof Shehu Ahmed Jimoh; Olupako of Share, Alhaji Abubakar Garba Dosunmu II and the General Manager of the Nigeria Television Authourity (NTA), Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulmajeed Adetunji.

Other awardees included the National President of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin; Serikin Daji of Ilorin and state commandant of Vigilante Group of Nigeria;Alhaji Abdulraheem Jimoh and The Jarima Ngeri of Ilorin, Alhaji Aliyu Kola Belgore. The rest were the Principal, Queen Elizabeth School, Ilorin, Hajia Rahmat Abdulrahman; Engr Suleiman Ayinde Yahaya; Sheikh Umar Faruq An-nahwiyyu and Chief Ola Yusuf.

The programme which was held at the Emir's Palace, Ilorin, had Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed who was represented by Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Engr Musa Yeketi, Olosi of Osi, Oba Abdulrahuf Adasofegbe and pioneer Grand Khadi of Kwara State, Justice Abdulkadir Orire among other dignitaries in attendance. Speaking at the event, the Coordinator of CMO, Justice Idris Haroon (rtd),said the honour was to recognize the worthy and emulative virtues of the awardees to the society and Islam in particular.

He said the awardees had distinguished themselves in the service of Allah and humanity, hence the need to recognize them. Justice Haroon recalled that the CMO was established in 1999 by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari with the mandate of coordinating activities of all Muslim organizations in the state and promote peaceful co-existence among various religious groups.

Part of the activities of the organization according to him include seminars for teachers of Arabic and Islamic studies in primary schools, humanitarian visit to hospitals, prisons and motherless babies' homes, sponsoring of regular radio programmes, annual Islamic quiz competition for students in secondary schools across three senatorial districts among others.

While extolling the virtues of pioneer coordinator of the CMO, late Prof Shehu Jimoh, Justice Haroon described him as a highly beloved orator and a man of honour and piety, praying Allah to reward his contributions to the propagation of Islam with Alijanat Fridaos. Delivering a lecture, a senior lecturer at the Kwara State College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies (CAILS), Ilorin, Sheikh Jumah Abdullahi Al-Iloriy stressed the need for Muslims to strengthen their relationship with God. He urged the awardees to see the honour as a challenge by sustaining their contributions to the development of their immediate community and Islam in general.

The Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad; Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali and the General Manager of the Nigeria Television Service (NTA), Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulmajeed Adetunji among other awardees who spoke with The Herald, said they were highly delighted with the recognition. They however promised to justify the honour by sustaining their immense contributions to the service of Allah and humanity.