By Deji Abdulwahab
Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the immediate past Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has called for the restoration of the old Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN).
Oloyede made the call in Abuja on Tuesday at a civil reception organised by the MSSN to recognise his life of impact, excellence and invaluable contributions to the nation.
He said the revival of MSSN would strengthen the organisation and nurture younger generations.
He urged former members of the society to contribute their experience and resources toward rebuilding the society into an organisation capable of effectively training and empowering young Muslim boys and girls.
Oloyede said restoring the values and structures of the old MSSN would provide younger members with opportunities to develop their leadership abilities and contribute meaningfully to society.
“I want to appeal to us, I want to beg us to do whatever we can to make sure that we restore MSSN to boost young boys and girls,” he said.
He said the younger generation needed to be given opportunities to learn, participate and develop the society in the same manner that previous generations had benefited from it.
According to him, MSSN has made significant contributions to the development of humanity, particularly through the training and mentorship of young Muslims.
Oloyede, however, expressed concern that the present generation of MSSN had changed considerably from what was obtainable when he was a young member.
“The MSSN that made us is not the MSSN that we have now,” he said, stressing the need to revive the values that shaped members of his generation.
He explained that the society had equipped young people with skills and experiences that even some of their elders at the time did not possess.
According to him, the old MSSN created an environment where young members could learn leadership, responsibility, teamwork and self-confidence.
He said the current generation of MSSN members should also be given adequate opportunities to acquire such experiences and develop their capacities.
Oloyede noted that many former MSSN members who benefited from the organisation had become successful professionals and leaders in different sectors of the country.
He said the achievements of former members should encourage them to support the development of the younger generation rather than prevent them from taking leadership responsibilities.
“Those of us who have benefitted from the MSSN, we are still not confident that they can do it,” Oloyede said.
He therefore urged former members to trust younger people and create opportunities for them to demonstrate their abilities.
Oloyede recalled that MSSN members of his generation worked together, cared for one another and created strong bonds irrespective of their backgrounds.
He said the society provided a pathway through which members developed confidence and learnt to take responsibility for themselves and others.
“The MSSN created that pathway that you could trust yourself, you could do everything,” he said.
The former JAMB registrar, who thanked the organisers for the reception, appealed to the leadership to go beyond celebrating former members by restoring the values that made the old MSSN impactful.
Also speaking, Sheikh AbdulRahman Ahmad, the National Missioner of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, supported Oloyede’s call for the revival of the old MSSN structure.
Ahmad observed that many of the prominent personalities associated with MSSN started their involvement in the organisation as teenagers.
He said the society played an important role in shaping members who later contributed significantly to Nigeria’s development.
“We moved this country. We shook this country. We achieved a lot. The MSSN of my days is no more,” he said.
Ahmad questioned the sustainability of the organisation if older and accomplished professionals continued to occupy leadership positions without adequately training younger members to take over.
He said the society needed to deliberately create a succession plan that would expose young members to leadership, responsibility and service.
The cleric said MSSN had trained many of its former members who later became professors, professionals, permanent secretaries, ministers and other influential personalities.
He urged members to reflect on the future of the society and ensure that younger Muslims were adequately prepared to assume leadership responsibilities.
Ahmad also described Oloyede as an example of integrity and courage in public service, particularly for his approach to fighting corruption.
He said Oloyede demonstrated that corruption could be confronted through conviction, faith, courage and purposeful action without unnecessary publicity.
According to him, Oloyede’s career showed that public officers could remain focused on their responsibilities without being driven by the desire for power and positions.
Ahmad recalled that Oloyede was reluctant to accept leadership responsibilities during his MSSN days, noting that members had to persuade him to take up positions.
He said Oloyede’s eventual achievements demonstrated that leadership positions could seek out people who had distinguished themselves through commitment, integrity and hard work.
Sen. Ibrahim Shekarau, former Governor of Kano State, also congratulated Oloyede on his achievements as JAMB registrar, describing him as a good example and ambassador of the Muslim society.
Shekarau thanked Allah for Oloyede’s service to humanity, saying his successful tenure at JAMB demonstrated the reward of hard work, commitment and service.
He also appreciated the MSSN leadership for organising the historic reception.(NAN) www.nannews.ng
Edited by Funmilayo Adeyemi