Eng. Ibrahim Idowu Founder Teen Upskilling Foundation was one of the deserving recipients of the Fadeelat Sheikh Musbaudeen Fazazi Faozi Islamic Centre Olounsogo Central Mosque Ogba Integrity Awards at its recent Graduation Ceremony and Awards. This erudite Islamic scholar who is also a graduate of the Faozi Islamic center spoke to journalist at the event
EXTRACT
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE AWARD YOU HAVE JUST RECEIVED HERE TODAY’S
I feel really excited because it was eleven years ago when I graduated from this same Quantic institution so coming back here is a source of great excitement for me.
HOW WILL YOU DESCRIBE THE FOUNDER OF THIS INSTILLATION
He is a fantastic man, he is really a great man. I can’t count how many times he has advised me. In fact, he was the one who advised me to go for my Master’s Degree, Even sometimes in the course of our discussions about live issues, I gain a lot from him. He occupies a pivotal place in my life because I know how his advice has helped me in shaping my life. He is really a very nice man. Consequently, I always try to support him in anything he does.
AS A FORMER STUDENT OF THIS INSTITUTION WHO HAS BECOME SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE, WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO THE CURRENT CROP OF STUDENTS OF THE INSTITUTION
My advice to them is to keep it calm, I will always advise them to be patient in going through the Maderasa and also allow the Maderasa to go through them in terms of exhibiting what they have leant. They should not be in a hurry in trying to excel. I mean I was already a graduate when I graduated from here. I was about going for my youth Service. From there I have been steadfast in terms of being religious and pursuing my Western education. It is very important to marry Islamic education with Western education especially in the world we live in today. Western education is very important. As well as Islamic education.
YOUR ADVICE TO THE YOUTHS
I am a founder of the youth Foundation here. What we try to is to encourage and guide them to ensure they take the right step. We have passed through the same path so we try to ensure that their journey will be smother than what we experienced. I want to encourage them to be steadfast to keep advancing. You want to eat an omelette. You must break the egg. So you must work hard because there is nothing that is free even in Freetown. So you must work hard. Even if you want to go into internet fraud, you have to work to put it together. So you have to be serious because life is a serious student.
