Razaq Bamidele
It was ecstasy galore on Sunday, October 27, when a faith based charity organisation, Zakat and Zadaqat Foundation (ZSF), empowered 2,647 people with cash and working tools amounting to N220,348,391 under its 2019 zakat distribution exercise.
The distribution ceremony, 15th of its kind took place at the auditorium of the Alausa Secretariat Mosque, Ikeja, Lagos State.
Some of the equipment and tools distributed were, a mini bus, nine tricycles, several deep freezers, grinding machines, sewing machines, a motorized wheel chair, barbing tools, computers, laptops and generating sets among other items.
Mr. Modupe AbdulKareem, COO, MTN-Ghana presenting generator and barbing tools to Toyeeb Abdulkarim Adeleye, a beneficiary of the 2019 zakat empowerment organised by the Zakat & Sadaqat Foundation on Sunday in Lagos.
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The Executive Director of the foundation, Prince Sulaiman Olagunju said the amount of empowerment distribution this year in Lagos is higher than that of last year by N25 million.
“I am pleased to inform that the sum of N167,374,712 is being distributed to 1,664 beneficiaries in Lagos State to formally end this year’s Zakat distribution that began in June across the nation.
“The amount being disbursed here today is about N25 million more than that of last year that stood at N142,938,905 in the state,’’ he said.
The executive director said that with the support of zakat payers and other well-spirited individuals, the foundation was able to increase the number of states where zakat was distributed to 21 this year as against 17 states in 2018.
According to him, in 2019, the four new states where the foundation distributed zakat funds were Kogi, Nazarawa, Niger and Zamfara.
“It is noteworthy that despite the economic situation of the country, we were able to move up zakat collection from N318,152,130 mobilised at the end of October 2018 to N325,346,697 as at September 2019.
“The amount of zakat disbursed so far this year, including the one being distributed today across the 21 states stands at N220,348,391 to 2647 beneficiaries. This shows a slight increase of about N16 million above last year’s disbursement.’’
Speaking earlier, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the foundation, Dr Tajudeen Yusuf reiterated the collection and distribution of zakat “is an obligation that all Muslims owe to Allah.
“In the same vein, we as recipients must see this as an opportunity to improve our circumstance from being needy to being on the path of prosperity,” he admonished.
Yusuf said that the activities of the foundation, as an NGO, is geared towards contributing to the nation-building.
“Just like being experienced in the conventional tax collection, there is the need to widen the zakat payer bracket. There are still many able Muslims, who may not know that a foundation like ours exists who collect and distribute zakat.
“It is, therefore, the duty of our current payers to introduce us to these categories of Muslims,’’ he said.
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Also speaking at the event, Dr Abdullah Shuaib, Executive Director of Jaiz Charity Foundation in Abuja called for working collaboration between the Z&S Foundation and Lagos State Government towards alleviating poverty among the populace.
He therefore urged the foundation to liaise with the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in this direction.
A beneficiary, Ayedun Aisha Modasola, a physically challenged 200level student Integrated Science/Biology Education at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Yaba Lagos received a motorised wheelchair from Zakat & Sadaqat Foundation on Sunday in Lagos.
She was full of praise for the organizers for making her movement easy on campus just as she prayed Allah to meet all of them at their points of need.
Another beneficiary, Mallam Slaema Babalola, who received a Mini Bus for transportation was so elated that he was short of words to thank Allah and the organizers for the rare opportunity given him to be financially comfortable.
He therefore promised to put the vehicle into good use so that he would also be able to be in position to help others in the nearest future.
