LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin
Winners yesterday emerged in the grand finale of Kwara state Qur’an recitation competition.
Those who came first in the various categories will represent the state at the national event holding in Lagos in December.
Murtadoh Abdulkadir-Katibi emerged overall winner of the first category for memorizing complete Qur’an with Tajweed and Tafsir.
Similarly, Al-hassan Ali Miqdad came first in the male second category of complete Qur’an only, while Firdaus Ridwan Apaokagi came first in the female second category of complete Qur’an only.
Also, Saad Muhyideen emerged the first position in the male third category of memorization of 40 hizb, while Aishat  Muhammed from came first in the female third category of memorization of 40 hizb.
Shafau Abubakar  secured first position in sixth category female while Ibrahim Abdulhamid of Kwara came first in sixth category male.
Speaking at the event, the Emir of Ilorin, Alh Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari appealed to the
winners of the competition to redouble their efforts towards making Kwara proud in the forthcoming National Qur’an Competition billed for Lagos state.
The monarch eulogized the competitors for their determination to memorise Qur’an which he described as an honour to their families and the state at large.
In his remark, Chairman,State Committee on National Qur’an Recitation Competition, Alhaji Shehu AbdulGafar charged Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to establish a full fledged Centre for Qur’an Memorization where state reciters would be camping ahead of national competition.
AbdulGafar said that the state final climaxed the two months state competition from wards, local governments, senatorial and state levels aimed at selecting suitable state flagbearers for the national competition.
In his Lecture, a Khadi, Kwara Shariah Court of Appeal, Ilorin, Justice Abdulraheem Ahmad Sayi advocated review of Arabic Schools curricula to incorporate Qur’an memorization in a bid to groom more Qur’an memorizers in the state.
Ahmad implored parents and guardians to bequeath sound Islamic and western education to their children and ward to insulate them against negative influences.