A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mahmoud Yayale Ahmed and Etsu Nupe, Yahya Abubakar who bagged the Sultan Bello Award for Good Governance conferred awards by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar lll.
Ahmed received the Sultan Sa’ad Public Service Award while Oloyede received the Sultan Sa’ad Award for Peace Building.
Other recipients of the awards the include immediate past Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede while the late Sheikh Isiyaka Rabi’u of Kano and Sheikh Isa Talatan Mafara received the Usman bin Fodiyo Award for Exemplary Leadership.
Professor Khadija Nuhu from Kano state received the Nana Asma’u Award.
The Sultan also honoured Kano-based commercial tricycles, Auwalu Salisu, who recently returned missing N18 millions and the Zamfara state woman who found some foreign currency and returned it to the officials of the state’s Pilgrims Welfare Agency during the last Hajj exercise.
Sultan Sa’ad said they were chosen for the awards because of their positive contributions to the development of their local societies and the country at large.
Mahmoud Yayale Ahmed who spoke on behalf of the awardees expressed gratitude to the Sultan, and enjoined Muslims to always identify with the tenets of Islam.
“We must always be proud of our religion. If we are shying to identify with our religion, we are doing great deservice to our nation.
“We must identify with the tenets of Islam and never compromise the teaching of the religion,” he said
To the Sultan, he said “Muslim communities are behind on all that you have been doing in the country.”
The ceremony which took place on Thursday at the International Conference Center, Sokoto, was part of activities marking the 10th Sheikh Usman bin Fodiyo week.
The Governors of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states as well as Emir of Zazzau and renowned global cleric, Dr. Zakir Naik among others attended the event.
