•••As gov Ododo donates N1m to zakat committee
By Musa Tanimu Nasidi
Kogi state governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has donated the sum of N1m to state zakat committee.
Ododo made the donation at the annual disbursement of over N3 Million zakat money to 63 beneficiaries across the 21 local government on Sunday in Lokoja.
The governor ,who was represented by the commissioner for water Resources, engineer Muhammad Danladi Yahaya Farouk commended the state council of ulama’u for annual disbursement of money to the venerables among the society.
He describes zaakat as an islamic template set up to alleviate the sufferings of widows ,orphans and the less privileged among the society and promised to partner with all religions organisations in the state.
Earlier In his welcome address, chairman, zakat working committee, Alhaji Sulaiman Baba Ali,who was represented by the former Speaker,Kogi state House of assembly,Rt. Hon . Ahmed Umar Imam admonished Muslims to give out zakat and sadaqa to the less privileged among the society.
He described zakat as a form of charity that helps to purify wealth, increases blessings in life and gains the given much reward stressing further that it’s an obligatory tax on every Muslim designed to help the poor and empower communities.
He appealed to Islamic clerics on the need to preach the significance of zakat to their followers especially in their friday sermons.
Highlights of the ceremony include: presentation of N50,000 cash each to 63 beneficiaries across the 21 local government.
This year’s occasion was graced by the reps of Maigari of Lokoja, HRH Alhaji Ibrahim Gambo Kabir Maikarfi 1V, chief imam of Lokoja Sheikh Muhammadu Aminu Sha’aban,that of ankpa,former Grand Khadi of Kogi state,judges and many islamic clerics among many.
