Umar Babayo Kesa, Bauchi State commissioner of Religious affairs and Welfare
By Abbas Gungura, Bauchi
Arrangements has been concluded by Bauchi State Government to host this year’s national Quranic competition scheduled for 18th of March 2022.
The Commissioner, Ministry of Religious and Welfare, Alhaji Umar Babayo Kesa, gave the hint while briefing journalists in his office where he said Governor Bala Mohammed has approved all the requirements requested by the Office of the Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III for the successful hosting of the national event in Bauchi.
Babayo Kesa commended Sokoto Office of the Sultan for graciously approving the staging of the Competition this year in Bauchi, saying it is an honour to Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed and the People of Bauchi State.
He also hailed Governor Bala Mohammed for approving all the requirements set forth for hosting the national event in Bauchi, revealing that ‘Bauchi has written to the Sultanate about its request to host the national competition which was subsequently approved’.
“The Sultanate has based upon the request by Bauchi to host the national event outlined a number of requirements which needs to be provided to host the completion, and all these requirements were subsequently approved by Governor Bala Mohammed”, Kesa confirmed.
The Commissioner who was speaking a week after the competition at state level held in Misau, however expressed worrisome over the inability of the Local Government Councils to sponsor their candidates which, he noted, has been the major challenge of the event at state level.
He also commended the host Local Government of Misau for adequate accommodation and peaceful hosting of the rancor free event, and for the purchase of Turban and ‘Alkebba’ for both the overall male and female winners by the Emir of Misau, Alhaji Ahmad Suleiman.
Umar Kesa, explained that all the 240 male and female candidates from the twenty Local Government Areas of the state actively participated in the six categories of the competition, viz 2 hibs, 10 hibs, 20 hibs, 40 hibs, as well as 60 hibs with and without tafsir.
He said Bauchi State government is so delighted to host the national Quranic competition because the last it hosted was over fifteen years and hosting it now is a great advantage to the state considering the importance of Quranic recitation.
“All states of the federation and Abuja will be in Bauchi to recite the holy Quran in different categories by competitors for number of days which is a blessing to the state and this of course will help in fighting insecurity in the state and will also showcase the capacity and capabilities of Governor Bala Mohammed as workerholic that turned around the fortune of the state in all areas of human life.” kesa said.
He therefore called on the good people of Bauchi State to support the state with prayers to host the national gathering successfully.
