Khadijat Saidu, Birnin Kebbi
The Wife of the Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, has urged parents to inculcate the love of religion and the desire to worship God in their children and wards.
Dr. Zainab spoke on Saturday, evening in Birnin Kebbi at the 6th Annual Kebbi Women’s Ramadan Lecture, with a theme,” Path to Paradise.”
The Ramadan lecture started in 2016 for the women of Kebbi through the initiative of the wife of the governor.
Dr. Bagudu said: “The lectures grow each year in terms of attendance and acceptance and I am truly very grateful for the support from my husband.
“I must also thank my organizing team and the speakers some of whom have become “regulars” -mufti Menk and Sheikh Jabir.
“Amidst successes, the past year has been a difficult one for us in Kebbi and the entire country.
“As we struggle to recover from the health and economic impacts of the COVID pandemic, a spate of banditry and insurgency has hit us.
“In Kebbi, our children were captured, though many have since been returned. My hometown Zamfara is probably the worst hit.
“While we continue to pray for those in captivity, it is important that as mothers we keep stringent watch on our children.”
She urged youths to be very conscious of the company they keep, adding, that “children are indeed a gift from Allah and their upbringing is a matter of trust.
“An amana from God. Your wealth and your children are only a trial, whereas with Allah! With Him is a great reward (Paradise).”
She, therefore, admonished Muslim mothers to put in their best efforts to ensure that their children become true inheritors of Islam and to keep Islam alive in their lives and their family’s lives after their death.
According to her, parental efforts are, therefore, quite instrumental in inculcating the love of Islam and the desire to worship in the right manner.
“Parents should also recognize that raising good children can be a source of their salvation in the hereafter.
She quoted Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who said:
“Upon death, man’s deeds will stop except for three deeds.
“They are a continuous charitable fund, endowment or goodwill; knowledge left for people to benefit from; and a pious righteous and God-fearing child who continuously prays to Allah, for the repose of the souls of his parents”.
“Once again, I am deeply grateful to my husband governor Atiku Bagudu, his administration has been for the most part friendly to women.
“I pray that the next administration will be even more friendly and ensure women are represented adequately in government structures, she said.
“I asked my daughter the other day what happens to the lectures when her father leaves office? She said you have to continue.
“I pray that you will all join me in calling on the next government to retain the lectures in their format. She added
Speaking, at the occasion Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu congratulated his wife for annually sustaining the lecture series.
The governor decried that the insecurity issue in the country was directly linked to upbringing, saying,” this is directly linked to a lot of people who felt neglected.
Bagudu said that this was why the country was now feeling the unpalatable consequences, resulting in a myriad of security challenges.
The Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum further urged youths in the state to emulate the speakers at the event, whom he described as, “men and women of knowledge”.
“They are a source of inspiration, they are men and women of knowledge who are internationally acclaimed,”
Bagudu explained that doing so would make the youths to be better individuals who will meaningfully contribute to making the society to be safer, saner, and more socio-economically prosperous.
Earlier, the Special Adviser on Women Development to Kebbi State Governor, Hon. Zara’u Wali said the annual Ramadan lecture was observed in the holy month as a platform to educate the public on the core values, norms, and practices of Islam.
“This is also in fulfillment of the demands of Ramadan to refresh ourselves on the values and norms of Islam and also lend our support to the less-privileged individuals in the society and essentially reflect on the teachings of the Qur’an and its importance for believers,” she averred.
She commended Governor Bagudu for good governance, and social and economic development thriving in the State particularly as it affects women in the State.
She also appreciated Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu for initiating the Ramadan program consistently for six years as well as her myriad of programs geared toward uplifting the lives of women and children in the state.
Major highlights of the 6th Ramadan Lecture included the virtual presentation of a lecture by the famous Islamic scholar, Dr. Mufti Ismail Menk from Madina, Saudi Arabia who talked about ‘parenting’, Dr. Jabir Sani Maihula from Sokoto who talked on ‘Justice in our lives.
Other prominent female Islamic speakers were Malama Juwairiya Usman who dwelt on the topic ‘ Justice and Compassion in Marriage ‘ and Malama Zainab Jafar Adam, the daughter of a late Islamic scholar, Shiek Jafar Mahmud Adam who delivered a lecture titled ‘ The Path to Paradise.
Sister Jamila Lawal, a well-known Nutrition Specialist and a Public Health Professional delivered a lecture on ‘ Good diet and Nutrition”.
The 6th Kebbi Women Ramadan Lecture was well attended by Women groups and civil servants from all over the State.
