The leader of the Muslim faithful in Nigeria and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, will be visiting Ondo State on Monday, September 9th, 2019, to deliver the Akure 2019 Annual Ulefunta Public Lecture.
The Ulefunta Festival is the brainchild of the Akure monarch, the Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi who began a process of bringing Akure’s culture into modern remembrance, one of which is the traditional period of leave of the Akure king called Ulefunta which is now celebrated to impart its lessons on the modern world.
In a programme released by the Organizing Committee of the ceremony headed by Prince Adebisi Adeniyi, the Sultan will also, during the visit, on Sunday, September 8, hold an Inter-Religious Council meeting with all religious leaders in the state with the aim of getting them to keep peace and Nigerian unity, in spite of the differences of religion.
The Interdenominational meeting will take place at the St. David’s Cathedral Hall, Oke-Ijebu, Akure by 4pm.
The lecture, which is the second edition of the annual lecture series, will hold on Monday at the Main Auditorium of the Federal University of Technology, Akure by 10:00am.
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Entitled, “Our diversity a divine gift and blessing untapped : wrong path trodden and way to peace,” the Sultan will use the opportunity to proffer the way forward to Nigeria and Nigerians at a period of its historical development when divisive narratives are gaining currency more than ever before in the polity. It will also, among other things, discuss the way to peace and a united Nigeria.
The Lecture, which will be chaired by the renowned entrepreneur, Chief Michael Ade Ojo, will also have the governor of Ondo State, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, as the Special Guest of Honour and will be attended by prominent traditional rulers, religious leaders, opinion leaders, community leaders, youths and students.
According to the release, the Sultan, who is the guest of the Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, is expected to arrive Akure, the State capital on Sunday 8th September, 2019.
The Precision NG reports that the 2018 edition of the Public Lecture was delivered by the current Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah