Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar: Religious leader-cum-philanthropist

His Eminence, the  Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji (Dr) Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar,CFR, mni  is indeed a religious leader-cum-philanthropist. Over 200 youth are currently being empowered by the sultan. Apart from the different skills they are being equipped with, they are also receiving a monthly stipend […]

His Eminence, the  Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji (Dr) Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar,CFR, mni  is indeed a religious leader-cum-philanthropist.

Over 200 youth are currently being empowered by the sultan. Apart from the different skills they are being equipped with, they are also receiving a monthly stipend of N10,000 each. Interestingly, some of them are using such an opportunity to further their studies, up to the university level, while others are becoming employers of labour by establishing their own businesses.

It may interest readers to know that those who could not engage in any form of task due to old age and sickness are assisted in the best ways that suit their condition, at least, a donation of N10,000, each, forthrightly or shorter interval than that.

On Saturday, the 18th day of April 2020, alone, His Eminence distributed more than 1,000 sacks of assorted rice to his neighbours (that were drawn from the western, eastern, northern, and southern parts of the Sultan’s Palace). Not only that, each bag of rice was also accompanied by N10,000 cash to the beneficiaries.

Let me digress a little to point out that there has never been a dull moment with His Eminence. Of all the interactions I have had with him, there has never been a dull one. Because His Eminence is a great leader full of wisdom. In fact, he is a jack of all trades and master of all.

The essence of penning this piece is not to praise or publicise the giant strides of the sultan, but rather, to motivate other religious and political leaders and well-to-do individuals in the country to do the same.

I have firm belief that such gesture will not only go a long way in alleviating poverty and the plight among the masses, but also restore  peace and unity in the country and trust and confidence of leaders in the minds of their followers.

May the gesture be accepted as an act of ibadat. Amin.

Zayyanu Shehu, writes from Sokoto. ([email protected])