By: Sani A. Garba
Alhaji Rilwanu Ibrahim Mafara locally known as Alhaji Rilwanu Milo, donated a plaza worth N300 Million as a Waqf (alm given) to the orphans for their educational pursuit.
The plaza is located along Talata Mafara Main market road, opposite Zenith Bank, Sokoto Gusau road, in Talata Mafara metropolis, Zamfara State.
Milo said “I picked up the courage from Sheikh Muhammadu Isah Mafara’s sermon who preached that it is not about giving money to cater for the needs of the orphans, but also to find an investment that will be give some money to cater for the orphans’ needs, not just about money.”
He further explained that the construction exercise of the plaza complex and its subsequent donation was earlier initiated with the aim to increase the number of orphans from the area and respond to the financing for their educational needs.
The complex has fifty shops and several other stalls at the plaza with the estimated annual rent of ₦100,000 to ₦180,000, depending on whether they are single- or double-sized shops.
The chairman of the orphans’ foundation, Mallam Hamza Abubakar, expressed his sincere appreciation for the property’s donation, which he said was an “act of divine love unparalleled, while also guaranteeing that the structure will be used in conformity with Shari’a law and that the earnings will be wisely invested for the fruitful utilization intended beneficiaries”
The chairman further said “the people who will benefit from it from the foundation’s first meeting are those who lost their parents—a mother, a father, or both— and are residents of the area within the control of Galadima and Kayaye in Talata Mafara.
He prayed that the project’s benefactor, Alhaji Rilwanu Ibrahim, will receive Jannatul Firdaous as his reward and that his late father would also receive the WAQF reward.
In his remark, a renowned Islamic scholar Mallam Muhammadu Isah Mafara said: “The alm given is one of the most compassionate works that consistently fetches reward to the doer and is also a proof of a good Muslim who committed his resources to serve Allah.”
In the same vein, he prays for God to shower him and his family with mercy and reward him with Jannatul firdaous, and to continue rewarding his father for this enormous amount of waqf.
He urges other Muslims to emulate the philanthropist and take over from where he (Alhaji Rilwanu) left off in improving the welfare of the orphans.
Among the numerous notable members of the Orphans Foundation present at the taking over ceremony were Professor Sha’ayau Shehu Madara (Magajin Rafin Mafara), Mallam Yusuf Abdullahi Mafara (Tambarin T/Mafara), Mallam Sanusi Mode, Mallam Aliyu Musa, MD Zaitun Water, and Alhaji Abubakar Nagwaggo (Turakin Mafara), among others.
Also other dignitaries present during the event were: Barrister Junaidu Abubakar, Mallam Yakubu Yahaya Mafara, Alhaji Ibrahim Alieru.
