Kunle Adelabu
-As Imam Gazali presides
The Imam of Araromi Central, the first Mosque in Igbogbo Community, Imam AbdulGaniy Gazali, presided over the Eid – El – Mubarak prayer on Friday following the demise of the Grand Chief Imam of Igbogbo/Baiyeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Fadhilat Sheikh Drikrullah Abdullahi Andu Tanimose, few days to the celebration of Sallah.
At the prayer which took place at Igbogbo Eid Ground on Friday, along Oba Molaja Ogunlewe Road in Igbogbo, were also the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Barr.) Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, All Progressives Congress chairmanship candidate in Igbogbo/Baiyeku, Hammed Olalekan Aroyewun (HOA), Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tertiary Education, Mr Waheed Kasali, Dr. Nasrul Titilope Andu Balogun, Chief Executive Officer, Andus ‘D Great Schools, Igbogbo and a chieftain of the Igbogbo Central Mosque, Alhaji (Chief) Andu among many others.
Speaking with worshippers at the Eid Prayer Grounds the presiding Imam, Imam AbdulGaniy Gazali, after the prayers charged the Muslim faithful to continue to exemplify the virtues that are associated with the celebration.
“My message for the Eid Adha 2025, according to the greatest lesson from Prophet Ibrahim and his son, Prophet Ismail, teaches us about generosity, faith and obedience to the Almighty Allah. I charge every Muslim to emulate lessons from Prophet Ibrahim and his son.
“May Almighty give us more privilege to witness more celebrations. Amen,” Imam Gazali prayed.
Speaking on his emergence to take charge after the late Grand Chief Imam Andu, Imam Gazali expressed his gratitude to the leaders of the Muslim community that entrusted the duty to him.
“This is not the first time to lead the congregation on behalf of our late father Fadilat Sheik Andu Tanimose. But today, I have the privilege to lead the Eid prayer because the Council of Chiefs, Alfas and Mission Board nominated me to be the speaker at this year’s Eid.
“I am grateful because it is not by my power but the mercy of the Almighty Allah.
“It is very painful that we no longer have him with us, but as human beings, we cannot be here forever. Each and everyone of us has our time: time of birth and death. The late Chief Imam has already done well with his time here with us. May Almighty Allah forgive Baba Tanimose’s shortcomings. Ameen”, Imam Gazali prayed.
Also speaking the APC chairmanship candidate, Hammed Olalekan Aroyewun, congratulated members of the Muslim community on the occasion of the celebration and charged them on the need to continue to practise the lessons therein after the celebration.
He assured that his administration would entrench good and inclusive governance, transparency and would be accountable to the people.
Aroyweun also described the demise of the late Grand Chief Imam Andu who has been presiding over the prayers for decades as a great loss but expressed that residents of Igbogbo have taken solace in the good life that he lived.
Dr Titlope Andu (NTA), the owner of Andus ‘D Great Schools, Igbogbo and a former APC chairmanship aspirant in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, also describing the occasion, explained:
“Today, we are supposed to be sober coming to the Eid according to the history of Eid – el Kabir, and when you are leaving, you will leave with happiness and joy. It was a sorrowful day, because Prophet Ibrahim thought he was going to use his own son for sacrifice to Allah but at the end of the day, God gave him ram to kill in celebration.
“So, it is the tradition that we don’t eat before coming to the Eid ground but we always return home happily. As you can see, we are joyful despite the fact that we just lost the Grand Chief Imam of Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA who happened to be my father, but as believers we have taken it as an act of God. We are grateful for the live that he spent with us.
He commented on the demise of the late Grand Chief Imam:
“Well, we thank God for his life. One of his major sermons while alive is peace and unity among Muslims, most especially indigenes. He made us realise that everything comes from God and we are only living on borrowed life. Eventually, we will leave it and depart this world.
“He lived a very purposeful life and used it in preaching peace among his followers and that made it easy for us to converge even though he has departed and you can see the easiness and happiness in everybody.
“We want to thank him for the life and time he spent with us and for the peace and unity that he preached and practised and we pray that whosoever succeeds him will continue in that line.”
