Governor Ahmed, Senate Bukola Saraki Absent At Ilorin Eid Prayer Ground

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state and Senate
president, Dr Bukola Saraki as well as top government
functionaries were conspicuously absent at the Eid-el-Fitri
prayers on Wednesday in Ilorin as the Eid-el-Fitri prayer was observed before the normal time of observation.

Reports shows that both the
governor and Saraki were usually present at the Eid praying
ground during Salah celebrations.
No reason was given for their absence although a top
Government House source reveals that the governor
prayed at a private mosque in the state capital.
It was also reported that the duo usually paid the traditional
homage to the Emir, Alhaji Sulu Gambari, immediately after
the Eid prayers.
They were, however, absent for the traditional homage and
the accompanying Durbar which often followed the Eid
prayers.
NAN reports that Ahmed had last year stayed away
from the Eid praying ground while those who attended with
the senate president were pelted with stones and sachet
water by angry workers whose salaries were not paid.
NAN also reports that there was a fracas at the palace of
the emir who was hosting this year’s traditional “ night of
prayers’’ on Sunday.
A palace source confided in NAN that mid-way into the
programme, a cleric rose to defend government’s inability
to pay workers’ salaries and this drew the anger of the
people.
The source told NAN that the crowd went berserk,
disconnecting the electricity supply to the venue and freely
throwing chairs at dignitaries at the event.
The Secretary of Sheikh Alimi Foundation, Abdulazeez
Arowona, in a statement confirmed there was fracas at the
palace during the programme.