Otunba Segun Sowunmi, a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has said that a recent pilgrimage to Umrah strengthened his religious commitment and gave him a new appreciation for the conduct of worshippers he observed.
Speaking in an interview on THE VOLUME POD, Sowunmi said he had been practicing his faith only moderately but decided this year to perform Umrah. He added that his children, Hassan and Hussain, are devout Muslims, which influenced his decision to go and pray.
Sowunmi described his experience in Mecca and contrasted it with what he sees among some religious leaders in northern Nigeria. He said the pilgrimage exposed him to the discipline and cleanliness of fellow worshippers, noting that he did not see anyone begging in the streets, roaming aimlessly, or attending the mosque in an unclean state
He said,
“I went for Umrah this year. I have been practicing just lukewarmly, but this year I decided let me just go and pray. My kids, are Muslim, Hassan and Hussain. They are very much into it. I said, okay, let me just go and do Umrah. I thank God Almighty that I went. You know why? Because it made me ask: you mean these people that are calling themselves emirs and mallams in our own northern Nigeria—this is where they’ve been coming? I did not find a single human being with a begger bowl in his hand. I didn’t find anybody roaming around aimlessly. I did not see anybody going to the mosque dirty.”…….See More
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