As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmotuLlāh wa barakātuH, daddies and mummies. Welcome to another episode of our interview sessions. In this episode, a former Naibul-Ameer, MSSNOAU and Best Graduating Student of his department, Mr. Ibraheem Owolabi, shares his experiences on campus with Abdulmālik Yakub.
An-Nuur: As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmotuLlāh wa barakātuH, sir. Can you please introduce yourself, sir?
Mr. Ibraheem: Wa alaikumus salaam warahmatullah wabarakatuh. I’m Ibraheem A. Owolabi, the Welfare officer and Naibul-Ameer of MSSNOAU in 2018/19 and 2019/20 academic sessions respectively.
An-Nuur: Can you describe your role as the MSSN OAU welfare officer, sir?
Mr. Ibraheem: My role was basically to see to the welfarism of Muslim students and the Muslim community. The committee was responsible for the following:
Providing support for indigent students by seeking assistance through the Ameer and other excos;
Making the venues and item 7 available for all MSSN programs;
Supervision of Ramadan Iftor and Eid celebration;
Handling of OAUMC and UNIFEMGA’s programmes.
The committee was also in charge of the Central Mosque cleaning then, before the introduction of the Mosque cleaning committee.
An-Nuur: Great! What initiatives or projects did you lead or contribute to within MSSN OAU that you believe had a significant impact on the society?
Mr. Ibraheem: MSSN OAU was able to run Iftor for 26 days out of 30, and I guess that was as a result of the powerful contribution of the committee which was led by me.
Another is the Mosque Cleaning Initiative, an initiative initiated by the wife of Prof. Owolarafe.
The committee had a great contribution by inviting people and even cooking for them after cleaning.
An-Nuur: Sir, did you encounter any challenges during your tenure? If yes, were you able to overcome them?
Mr. Ibraheem: Yes, there were different challenges. I could remember a day when one lecturer observed Maghrib with us, during Ramadan at the Central Mosque; he complained of people getting little or no food. We couldn’t do anything to help the situation, because we were not paid for the service; we were just trying our best to satisfy the ummah pro bono.
And even there were days the committee members would not eat a good portion of the food they cooked; at times, they wouldn’t even have a taste of the food; still, they would come the next day. May Allah reward them abundantly. Aameen.
Another challenge was the distance of Religious ground to Halls of Residence. Most of the MSSNOAU programs were held at the Central Mosque that we had to go extra miles in encouraging people and the members of the committee to make themselves available.
An-Nuur: How did you manage your time and priorities to balance your role as the welfare officer with your academic responsibilities?
Mr. Ibraheem: Alhamdulillah, as a member of MSSNOAU Executive then, I was also the class representative for my class. I usually wrote my schedule down everyday and ticked the one I had done. It was a bit hard during the first semester then, because it was during the time of Ramadan. Though with Allah’s mercy, I survived. And I can tell you that I made best results ever during that period.
An-Nuur: Allahu Akbar! Sir, Could you tell us the strategies you employed to maintain high academic performance while being actively involved in the society and other duties, or was it all based on the daily schedule you mentioned earlier?
Mr. Ibraheem: Actually, I did re-strategize everyday, because as a member of executive, I was to prepare for everything. I always made sure I go through all my notes everyday to cross check what we were taught, and do a lot of calculations at night, because I didn’t usually have time during the day. I studied early in the morning, too.
An-Nuur: Sorry this may look like a repetition, but we are aware of your remarkable achievement as a first-class graduate, very impressive and a challenging accomplishment to attain. It becomes even more impressive considering the demanding responsibilities you had as both a class representative and someone responsible for the welfarism of muslim students. Were there any struggles, academically or spiritually?
Mr. Ibraheem: I’m not a first class graduate, I graduated with a CGPA of 4.32. There were struggles academically and spiritually then. Throughout my stay on campus, I stayed on campus, Angola at 100L and Awo Hall 200L to 500L. I enjoyed staying on campus, and that lessened my challenges.
An-Nuur: BaarakAllohu feekum, sir.
Mr. Ibraheem: Aameen
An-Nur: I also heard you were the best graduating student. Was that in your department or faculty?
Mr. Ibraheem: In my department
An-Nuur: How was your tenure as the Naibul Ameer?
Mr. Ibraheem: My tenure as the Naibul Ameer Admin and Planning didn’t actually go as planned due to some administrative challenges and COVID-19 outbreak. But with Allah’s guidance, we were able to push through.
An-Nuur: Were there any improvements when you were in charge?
Mr. Ibraheem: Alhamdulillah, I tried my best as regards the role to some extent.
An-Nuur: Were there any projects during your administration, and could you mention them, if any?
Mr. Ibraheem: There is no cogent project like that, because all the proposed programs from each committee, being ratified, were executed based on the situation of the administration, because it was a long session.
An-Nuur: What are the lessons you learnt while you were the Naibul Ameer, and do you think they have any positive effect on your academic and professional endeavors?
Mr. Ibraheem: Alhamdulillah, the life itself is a lesson, we continue to learn everyday. Being the N.Amir, Admin and planning, and former Welfare Officer, I saw the posts as amaanah. So, I discharged my duties to the best of my capability, and Allah helped me through my academic journey as well. Also, I see being an executive or a member of a committee as a platform to serve the ummah, regardless of our differences, without expecting any reward from them, because if we do it with sincerity, Almighty Allah will reward us. A quote says: “Life is not about photocopy, but to take impact.” Let’s stop the talk and act the talk, stop complaining about the executive; instead, assist them. May Allah reward us abundantly.
An-Nuur: Wow, that is great! Was there any skill or lesson or experience during your tenure as the welfare officer and Naibul-Ameer that contributed to your academic success?
Mr. Ibraheem: Yes, to relate with people is not easy, but I learnt a lot during the period. I learnt endurance and humility while serving under these two Ameers: Mr. Kamoru Sodiq and Mr. Sanusi Abdulmālik.
An-Nuur: We have new executives now and they are trying their best to cater for the students’ needs, and make sure the community keeps running fine. Based on your experiences, what advice would you give all executive members?
Mr. Ibraheem: They should try their possible best in discharging their duties. Like I said, these are Amaanah. People will surely abuse them; they should embrace it. Also, being an executive member or a member of a committee should not deprive them of their primary assignment as a student. I pray Allah eases the tasks and grants them/us success in our endeavors. Aameen.
An-Nuur: Aameen.
Finally, what advice would you give the generality of the Muslim students, especially those who are not executive members, or those who are not involved in MSSN activities?
Mr. Ibraheem: We should all come together as an ummah and see ourselves as brothers and sisters in Deen. Forget about the differences. We should be good followers and pray for those representing us. We should put our trust in Allah that he’ll ease affairs, but we should put in our best too. And finally, we should always remember that prayers play a pivotal role in success.
An-Nuur: Na’am. Jazaakumullahu Khayran. I Pray Almighty Allah bless you and grant you the best here and in the hereafter.
Mr. Ibraheem: Aameen.
