Why I organised Qur’an Competition in honour of K1’s daughter – Bayo Olasoju

 Why I organised Qur’an Competition in honour of K1’s daughter – Bayo Olasoju

By Rasaq Adebayo

 

The Vice Chairman of Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and one of the leading aspirants for the chairmanship seat in the forthcoming local council polls, Hon. Bayo Olasoju has explained his motive behind sponsoring a Qur’an competition in honour of Wasilat Ayinde Marshal, the daughter of Fuji maestro, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal who died a few years ago.

Bayo is a former manager of Wasiu Ayinde.

The competition was jointly organised by Olasoju’s campaign group, Ilerioluwa Organisation and Penckers International School, Isolo but sponsored by the politician.

At the end of the competition, the final six winners were rewarded with N30,000,000 worth of scholarships and cash prize.

Speaking about the competition, Olasoju explained that the need to promote religious tolerance was one of the reasons behind the competition.

He said he was moved to organise the competition in honour of the late daughter of his former boss due to her good records when alive.

He described the late daughter as a cheerful giver, a devoted Muslim who took pleasure in investing in people especially education during her lifetime.

“Religious tolerance is one. If a Christian could collaborate with Muslim friends to organise a Qur’an competition, why can’t we tolerate one another? We are calling on the same God but the way we are looking at our God is in different ways.

“I’m a Christian but Faisal (the proprietor of Penckers International School) has been my friend and we have been looking at how we can collaborate to get things done. We felt that the holy month of Ramadan is the right time to get the young people and youths busy so, we concluded to organise a Qur’an competition.

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“The programme started with more than 600 applicants who submitted for entrance but they were screened based on their certificates to about 300. The 300 participated from the preliminary stage up to the final stage.

“We felt the need to name the competition after somebody who really loved that exercise and that was where Wasilat came to mind.

“Wasilat herself went through Quranic training and she was a giver who believed in children’s education. I can tell you for free that while she was alive, even as an undergraduate, she had children she was sponsoring to school both primary and secondary. Even when she left Nigeria for Canada, she was still doing it, monitoring her mentees that she was sponsoring to school. She is really worth the honour.

In the senior category, the overall winner, Ahmad Aliyu Adam, was given N1, 000,000 while Umar AbdulRasheed and Abdul Rahman AbdulGaniyu, the first and second runners-up received N500, 000 and N250, 000 respectively.

Awwal Ishaq, who emerges overall winner in the junior category, received N500, 000 cash prize while the first and second runners-up, Abdullahi AbdulAzeez and Abdullahi Abdulganiyu went home with N250, 000 and N150, 000 each.

Dignitaries who graced the event include Osolo of Isolo Oba Kabiru Alani Agbabiaka as represented by Princess Balikis Agbabiaka, Hon. Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon(GOS), the Babaloja of Oshodi Market, Abdul Rasak Kolawole Sanni (Provida), Director of Academics Daaru-d-Da’wah Sheikh Ishaq Zuglool Sanusi, Council leader Oshodi-Isolo LGA Hon. Abdul Rasheed Obasa, Chief Imam of Ishagatedo Alhaji Abdul Razak Temitope Orebiyi, Chief Imam of Isolo Sheikh Qasim Ajiyan, Alhaji Bukola Alayande (Ere Asalatu), Alhaji Azeez Abiodun (Saoti Arewa) among others.

lagosstreetjournal

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