Gombe state governor Inuwa Yahaya on Saturday declared open the 25th edition of the annual qur’anic recitation competition in the state where 393 contestants would participate.
Our correspondent reports that this was the first time a governor in the state was attending the competition in the past years.
Speaking during the opening of the 2021 competition, governor Yahaya said that his administration would continue to give education both religious and western priority.
He said in line with that the government established 676 educational centres across the state under the Basic Education For All (BESDA) programme where thousands of out of schools children are enrolled to acquire formal education.
In his remarks, the chairman of the state Qur’anic recitation competition committee Justice Muhammad Inuwa Gombe explained that the competition is an annual event being organized with the objective of instilling discipline and uplifting the moral behavior of the muslim youth.
He said in the last 25 years of Qur’anic competition, the state contingents have put up remarkable appearances adding that it produced over 30 winners of the national competition while four reciters who are indigenes of the state represented Nigeria at the international competition.
While commending the state governor for providing financial support for the conduct of the exercise, the chairman said the competition would last for a period of seven days.
“It is with all sense of fulfilment and pride that the entire Gombe state Qur’anic recitation family is pleased to receive the governor of Gombe state Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya being the first elected governor to ever attend a session of the state organized competition be it opening or closing ceremony.
” As it obtains in other states across the country, state governors and their entourage attend both opening and closing ceremonies to encourage and motivate participants. For us in Gombe state, this is our first time to receive this high powered dignitaries led by his excellency himself “. He said.
Other people in attendance were the emir of Dikku Haruna Abdulkadir Rashid, Mai Kaltungo, speaker of the state house of assembly.
