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Rousing welcome for Saraki in Ilorin

 

By Mumini AbdulKareem

It was not an unusual event and for years it has become part of a routine visit by the Senate President and political leader of the state, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki to his ancestral home in Ilorin. But, it was greeted by an extraordinary reaction laced with passion and love from the people on Sunday in Ilorin.

In all the places visited while his city tour lasted, Saraki waved and smiled in appreciation of the people’s expression and was almost mobbed but for the effort of his security aides who had difficult time controlling the surging crowd.

Walking within a touching distance to the crowd, hundreds of supporters who gathered to receive him sang Saraki’s praises amidst chants of eulogies and carried placards to openly demonstrate their support of his leadership.

The Senate President who arrived the in town on Friday for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congresses which held across the country received a tumultuous reception while embarking on an inspection tour of some of the projects that were single handedly financed by him and others that were handled by his constituency office in some places within the state and during a visit to the home of one of his aides whose social function he missed last week.

Although the tour across the city lasted few hours, it must have no doubt left lasting impression on the Senate President given the fact that the people were obviously appreciative of his leadership and all his recent interventions in strategic areas of interest in the state.

Shortly after inaugurating the committee on Hajj, Umrah and Jerusalem pilgrimage at the Great Hall at his Iloffa residence in GRA, Ilorin, Saraki headed straight to the family house of Alhaji Sulyman, Kayode Yusuf (Maja) to congratulate the former Local Government Service Commotion boss for the success of his daughter’s marriage last weekend. For those that were present, such honour was a demonstration of humility by the Senate President and love for people.

At his Agbaji residence in Ajikobi, Ilorin West Local Government where he had gone to inspect the over N300m Agbaji Central mosque, which he is personally constructing, a mammoth crowd gathered to cheer him; some people climbed buildings to get a glimpse of the senate president. They sang and danced to the delight of Saraki who observed Asr (prayer) with the congregation at a make shift mosque.

After the prayer, it was hectic for Saraki to move from the prayer point to inspect the mosque under construction that had reached appreciable level of completion. From the aged to the women and the youth who were all elated about the project, it was one that they very much cherished and that has a significant impact on the religious emolument of the area.

According to one of the residents who simply identified herself as Hajia Muinat, this is a very historic event for them and they took the pain waiting in the sun and lining the street to show the Saraki that they love him and very much appreciate what he has done and has been doing for the community.

According to her, the mosque has been a monument before now but Saraki has succeeded in not only making it a legacy but an Islamic heritage after it would have been completed.

Another resident who also witnessed the inspection, Mallam AbdulMumeen Abdullahi said the people have spoken and it was clear from their action that Saraki occupies a special place in their hearts as a son of the community who has placed Agbaji, Ilorin and Kwara as a whole on the global map.

Saraki later moved to Alfa Yahaya to inspect the completed Alfa Yahahy/Idi-Igba road and some boreholes that were provided through his constituency office. He also held meeting with some members of the community who thanked him immensely for what he has done and asked his continued support.

To be sure, while the Saraki Sunday visit lasted, it was clear that the people have been taking mental notes of all the interventions that he has carried to in the state. Following the payment of the salaries of the Magajis and Alanguas, Saraki followed up that laudable intervention with the release of about N15m for the payment of Arabic students external examination and empowerment of all the women leaders in the APC across Kwara central to the tune of N200,000 each for the 52 of them. While the people were still trying to enjoy the euphoria of that intervention, N200m was earmarked and N100 released to commence the renovation of just five out of the 35 Mosques scheduled for renovation in the state before the inauguration of members of the pilgrimage committee to commence the sponsorship of Hajj, Umrah and Jerusalem exercise to be solely funded by him.

To the people, Saraki is spending his wealth to assist the needy at home who are unable to afford many of the interventions he has provided. And just as he has noted while inaugurating the committee, many other Kwarans that have been privileged should also come out and help the people’s cause especially during this time of difficulty occasioned by the economic reception in the state.

That Saraki is giving back to the society through his office and in his personal capacity to heal the people’s wound is not in doubt and there is every indication that is he is ready to do more to continue to impact hugely on the grassroots. While the joke in town today is that “we don’t know where next Saraki’s intervention would be coming from”, the massive demonstration of love and acceptance by the people on Sunday who openly cheered and expressed their affection for the Senate President in Ilorin can only spur him to continue to use his God given wealth to aid the cause of his people especially the downtrodden in terms of their religious and economic aspirations.

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