Zumratul Islamiyyah harps on functional education as it marks 90th anniversary

Muslim parents have been advised to see education of their children as a priority.

This was the advice of scholars who attended the grand finale of the 90th anniversary of the Zumratul Islamiyyah Society which was held at the Lagos Television (LTV 8).

This is just as the group appealed to Lagos and Ogun State governments to return its lands.

The group said its lands were taken over along with schools during the time governments took over schools from religious organisations.

The president of the society, Engineer Mutiu Oladipo Gbajumo, at a press conference to herald the anniversary said it was worrisome that both Lagos and Ogun governments at different times in the past took over the schools (primary and secondary schools) built by members of the society without any compensation.

He said, “The Zumratul Islamiyyah Primary schools are everywhere in Lagos. We have high school in Surulere, and Grammar school in Igbogbo Ikorodu, Yaba, Akute in Ogun State and other areas.

The Alhaji deputy president, Mohammed Bello Damole, noted that the society had met with officials of the Lagos State government on several occasions.

At the closing event, Dr. Noheemdeen Ekemode, the Medical Director of Ekemode Memorial Hospital, Lagos and Guest Speaker, Sheikh Habeeb Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilori, said there was urgent need for Zumratul Islamiyyah Society and other Islamic organisations in Nigeria to brace up to the reality of the modern world to use education as a weapon to spread the good news of Islamic religion.

Al-Ilori, who is also the Director of Markaz Arabic Training Centre, Agege, Lagos, speaking on “The Role of Islamic Organisations in the Growth of Islam in Africa”, said the emergence of societies such as Zumratul Islamiyyah and others was a response to the springing up of missionary schools in the early 1900 in Nigeria.

Prominent among dignitaries that grace the final ceremony were Oba Kabiru Sonubi, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu and Oba Semiu Orimadegun Adegboruwa, the Onigbogbo of Igbogbo who incidentally were products of Zumratul Islamiyyah schools and a host of others.