Nigeria's former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Alhaji Sarafa Tunji-Ishola has asked members of Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) to take advantage of student loan for indigents by applying to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund(NELFUND) in their quest for knowledge at public tertiary institutions in the country
The Baba Adini of Yoruba land, Edo and Delta States who was delivering his goodwill message during the Seventy anniversary of MSSN in the nation, marked over the weekend in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, also charged the leadership of the Muslim Students apex body to review its structure in strategizing and championing the cause of islam in schools and on campuses of higher Institutions of learning across the country
Sarafa Tunji-Ishola who was represented by the Secretary General of the Ogun State Muslim Council, Alhaji Kamal-Deen Akintunde Esq. ,said that applying for the loan would go a long way in providing assistance to indigent students in their quest for knowledge
"The Nigerian Education Loan Fund will go a long way to providing assistance to indigent students in their quest for knowledge. Therefore members of MSSN should avail themselves of the opportunity and apply for the loan as a worthwhile initiative or undertaking".
The former envoy who commended the Governor Dapo Abiodun for the sustenance of peaceful co-existence among religious beliefs in the state, charged the leadership of MSSN to pursue the attainment of its goals and objectives within the ambit of the law of the land and without undermining the teachings of Islam and ethical standard.
He commended MSSN for several legal battles won in the past Seventy years with the support of others strata of the society, including the legal victory on the issue of wearing of hijab by Muslim females in schools in some parts of the country
"There are several battles which MSSN, in collaboration with other strata have won,latest of which is the legal victory on the ISI Hijab case and similar others in the parts of country", he commended
"In congratulating the MSSN on this occasion of its 70th Anniv,I want to pay special tribute to the founding fathers for their collective efforts,their vision and mission which have remained cardinal and a compass to the past and present leadership in the pursuit of the mission. In this connection,kudos is due to the past and especially the present leadership for sustaining the tempo,product of which we are witnessing here today", he stated
The Baba Adini urged members of MSSN to appreciate the 25 years of unbroken democracy in the country and felicitate Governor Abiodun on celebration of his 64th birthday
Amir of Ogun Area Unit of MSSN, Abdul-Fatah Adigun had earlier stressed the need for government to continue to reward academic excellence to inspire students at all levels of education, so as to give education its pride of place
"Our governments must continue to reward academic excellence generously to motivate and inspire students at all levels of educational ladder. There must be provision of scholarship to indigent and deserving students to boost their morale and give education its pride of place"
MSSN commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration for the introduction of the Nigerian Student Loan Fund (NELFUND) but urged the relevant agency to work out modalities of Muslim Students would benefit without paying interest while calling on various State Governments to replicate the same concept to spread the benefits across the country
"It is pertinent to identify with the Federal Government led by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the reintroduction of the student loan which will go a long way in facilitating increase access to educations, and complement the efforts of low-income parents whose earnings are already hamstrung by the nation’s economic downturn"
"We call on the agency directly in charge of the scheme to work out modalities on how Muslim Students will benefit from this initiative without paying interests on loans advanced to them. We also call on the various state governments to domesticate the good gesture of the government at the centre, so that the impact becomes widely felt across Nigeria"
The amir acknowledged the roles of the founding members of MSSN who laid the foundation in Lagos, Seventy (70) years ago which has since produced the likes notable leaders in Islam including
Dr. Jubril Oyekan, Professor Oloyede, Dr. Dhikrullah Hassan, Sen Shuaib Salisu, Prof. Taofeek Abd Azeez, Prof. Musa Olomu, Prof. Abdulateef Sanni, Professor Afis Oladosu among many others in the South, with their counterparts in the North, such as Sen. Ibrahim Shekarau, Dr. Lawal Maidoki, Prof. Sheu and many others who are illustrious products of the MSSN.
He appreciated the contributions founding members, donors and volunteers for the success recorded in the past seven decades of MSSN existence, calling for Contino moral and financial support to achieve more in the next 70 years
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