#AhmadiKids2018 Ijtema/IVC – Day 6

By Mikail Sulaiman

All things bright and beautiful as members of Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria showcased their styles in Match Past Assessments, as Amir Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Nigeria, represented by Alhaji Ademoye, Arch Bishop Oladigbolu, Naib Sadr Admin, Naib Sadr South West, State Qaid Ogun, State Qaid Abuja, Chief Imam Oyo, National Zaik Atfal and other dignitaries witnessed the event.

The Match Past saw 6 states participated in a beautiful display of para-military nous and mastery of parades. Thereafter, the Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya converged in the Auditorium where the IVC/IJTEMA symposium is being staged.

The symposium programme began shortly as the duo of Bro Ajibade, The Mutamin Tarbiyyat and Bro Abd Jaleel Nafiu, Naib Mutamad II mastered the ceremony. They introduced the guests of honour; after which the Recitation of the Holy Quran, Chanting of Qaseedah, Chanting of the Nigerian National Anthem, Recitation of the Atfal Pledge were made. Immediately after the Atfal pledge, the National Zaik Atfal, Bro. Yusuf AbdusSamad delivered his speech, introducing the concept of child’s rights.

Alhaji Musliudeen Ademoye, representing the Amir AMJN, Alh. (Dr) Moshood Adenrele Fashola, began his opening speech by showing his gratitude to the guests for honoring the invitation. He continued to say that children need to be well educated to enable them to become great in the future. Thereby, saluting the handlers (Nazimeem Atfal) for their endurance and perseverance all time long.

In his lecture ‘Safeguarding the Childs’ Rights: Islam as a Yardstick, Dr. Ahmad Abd’Ganiy highlighted the imperativeness of the one-week-long Islamic Vocational Course (IVC) and National Convention, as a pointer to the fact that Islam love the development of children than the world because the world only spare a day for the celebration of children. He admitted that children have suffered a long deal in the history of mankind, citing Syria, Iraq, as examples of places where Childs’ rights are not only abused but also trampled.

Then he defined according to different measures, who should be considered a child. One of the measures is “any being below 18″ according to Child’s Rights Convention of 1978. Moreover, he established that every child is born perfect by nature, only to be shaped by parents or guardians. In most cases children cannot make decisions for themselves rather adults-parents, teachers, brothers, sisters, neighbors make them which dictate and have an impact on the children. Most bad decisions in the world, like homosexuality, is being promoted by developed countries because they have lost the value of humanity as a result of bad development as a child. Building the children is the logical way of building a society devoid of abnormalities.

However, children have rights to protection from abuse, neglect, life, shelter, nutrition and participation among others. And it is high time the adults/parents/guardians give back the rights of children to them. A good example of a society that has embraced that, is the Lagos State Government “One-day Governorship” programme – a cardinal to the psyche of the children that they can be whatever they can ever imagine. He then concluded, “give a good name to your children because it affects their becoming.

After the lecture, there was a Taekwondo interlude by the children. After which the guests of honour made their remarks.

In his remarks, Arch Bishop Oladigbolu expressed his utmost delight for being at the programme. He mentioned that his delight is heightened with the recognition of Ahmadiyyat throughout the globe for different activities and approaches to promote peace and harmony in the world. He said he couldn’t help to appreciate seeing the children earlier during the match past. He so much appreciated the effort the organizer put in place to secure a good camping programme for thousands of Children from different parts of the country.

The Imam Anwarul Islam, Oyo lauds the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat for being able to account for programming and welfarism of the Children. He noted that unrest nations have failed only because they had neglected this responsibility of training children which Ahmadiyya Muslim Community have shouldered. And called upon the Islamic world, to take from Ahmadiyya this golden lesson.

He added that “if the life of Ahmadiyya, the one who cherishes knowledge is like this, then it shouldn’t baffle us because the Prophet made us known that a community with knowledge cannot fall”. He lauds the mothers of the children for dedicating their children to the cause of Islam. He acknowledged the morals and ethics shown during the programme by the children. And prayed that may Almighty Allah continues to safeguard them.

The Chief Imam of Oyo in his own comment said “Ahmadiyya is a Jama’at you cannot help but to associate with because, in the history of the Yorùbá land, they had been a greater transformational tool to the educational and spiritual growth of the people. He finally lauds Ahmadiyyat for always keeping to time, which Allah also emphasized in the Holy Quran.

As part of the programme lined up for the day, guests were taking around to have a taste of cooking competition prepared by the children.

Shortly the symposium programme at around 5pm this evening, the Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria, Naib Sadr Admin, Naib Sadr SW, State Qaid Ogun, State Qaid Oyo, was seen anticipating for the football final competition between Ogun Ilaqa and Oyo State. It was a beautiful euphoria. Heart beating as people were praying for their team to win.

And after some minutes, the Match was kicked off and the anxiousness grow deeper. And every ball towards the goal post is meet with wide eyes, some praying that it goes over the post, some hoping to see the ball at the back of the net. The first half of the match ended goalless.

10 minutes into the second half of the football match, the No 7 jersey of the Ogun Ilaqa team put the goal behind the net from some meters away from the midfield and the chant of ‘goooooooaaaaaallllllllll’ ruptured through the air and every of the Ogun supporter could not hold the jubilation around. And this was all Ogun state needed to break the stalemate.

For the rest of the minutes played, Oyo Ilaqa put all efforts forward to equalized but eventually, the football match ended 1 – 0 in favour of Ogun State. Finally, Ogun has crowned the champion of #AhmadiKids2018 in a National Ijtema back-to-back victory. Both the players and coaching crew of the two teams embraced the outcome of the match with hugs which promoted the beautiful motto of Ahmadiyya “Love for All, Hatred for None”.

Later in the evening, awards and prizes were given to the participants that did well in all educational and sporting activities.

With bags and luggage packed on day 7 of the convention, the kids departed as early as possible to their various destinations after the Fajr prayers. #AhmadiKids2018 was indeed a blessed outing for the children to learn, integrate and improve on the moral, spiritual and educational lessons.

To wrap up the activities, State Qaid Oyo, Bro Hakeem Awe led a delegation to The Vice Principal Student Affairs, Federal Government Girl’s College Oyo, Oyo State, Mrs Abdul-Hameed for the support in using the school for the Ijtema. Jamaat literature like Translated Qur’an, Solat prayer book, The Cairo debate, Prayers of the Holy Prophet SAW, Life of Muhammad, The belief and the life in the Holy Qur’an, The British Government and Jihad among others were present to her. And as part of CSR project Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya also donated some items as a gift to the Management of the School.

May Allah continue to bless the children and Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, at large.