By Mumini AbdulKareem
Eminent stakeholders and indigenes of Lafiagi, Edu Local Government
Area of Kwara State on Saturday converged on the community’s Central
Mosque to seek spiritual intervention over the incessant deaths that
has ravaged the town and for creation of Lafiagi local government.
According to the indigenes which included the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji
Sa’adu Kawu Haliru and other prominent sons and daughters, the
community is overdue to be recognised as a local government owing to
its economic importance and existence of monumental landmarks which
include airport and Lafiagi College of Education among others.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the prayer, the Emir who
described the issue as calamity said the prayer was to seek divine
intervention over the incessant deaths of some of the community elites
at home and in the Diaspora.
“So we found it necessary to gather here and pray for God to stop the
calamity and see us through.
“We also prayed for President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Abdulrahman
Abdulrazaq for Almighty Allah’s guidance on their leaderships, the
chairman of BUA Company, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu for investing in
Lafiagi and other political leaders and youths of the Emirate.”
He added that, “The programme will be coming up every three months for
us to relate with one another and to work for the development of our
people”.
On the issue of creation of local government, the Emir who reiterated
that Edu has three traditional rulers of same status, cited that
Gazette of Northern Nigeria in 1920, which recognised Ilorin as native
authority at the same time with Kano, Kaduna and Katsina.
“Today with the type of metamorphosis coming up in Kwara State, I
wonder if we should continue to retain this status. It has never
happened before where you have three traditional rulers of the same
status to be in one local government”.
He called on his subjects to be hardworking, obey the government of
the day and be prayerful wherever they may find themselves.
On the issue of border closure, the Emir called on the state and
federal governments to use this year as a trial period, “So that when
the result begins to show in relation to what has happened, they would
have thus adduced a new way of developing the country.”
An indigene of the community and Chief Imam of Mile 12 Lagos, Alhaji
Aminu Faki in his sermon emphasised the importance of special prayers
in resolving communal problems and the need to seek the intervention
of Allah for general progress in Lafiagi Emirate.
The Community Relations Officer (CRO) of BUA Group who also
represented the Chairman of the company, Mohammed Awwawu Ndaji said
the company invested in Lafiagi to uplift the community and provide
employments for the teeming youths.
He called on other industrialists and affluent individuals to emulate
BUA in bringing development to the area and the country at large.
Other issues that the community also sought the intervention of Allah
included the elevation and progress of all Lafiagi indigenes at the
state and federal civil service, youth restiveness, drug abuse,
kidnapping, insecurity in the country specifically in Lafiagi Emirate.
The special prayer which featured the recitation from the Holy Qur’an
was organised by the Lafiagi Development Descendants Union (LADDU) and
coordinated by the Chief Imam of Lafiagi, Alhaji Muhammed Jibril Faki.
