The Emir of Zazzau has described as painful the plan to demolish 188-year old Malam Abdulkarim Central Mosque Zaria, noting that it weighs heavily upon the Emirate Council.

The royal father disclosed this during the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the mosque in Zaria on Sunday.

Mr Bamalli said the decision was not made lightly but the emirate had no option than to take it as the safety of lives remained the top priority of the council.

“Your well-being and security have always been at the forefront of our thoughts and actions”, the emir said.

Mr Bamalli commended the Kaduna State Government for supporting the victims of the 2023 mosque collapse, paying compensation of houses affected by expansion of the Mosque project among other initiatives.

He also lauded the highest donation of N2 billion by Abdussamad Isyaka-Rabi’u through the ASR Africa and BUA Group.

He noted that the historic mosque, built in the 1830s had served as a beacon of faith, community engagement and resilience.

Earlier, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Abbas Tajudeen said the collapsed mosque was one of the biggest and largest historical heritage of building technology in Nigeria.

The speaker, who is also the member representing Zaria Federal Constituency and a traditional title holder of “Iyan Zazzau,” said the rebuilding of the central mosque has about 18 months completion period.

He, however, said the resources available would only be able to reach 50 per cent completion, urging philanthropists to donate generously for timely completion of the gigantic project.

The speaker restated the commitment of the National Assembly towards supporting the timely completion of the project.

In his remarks, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, reiterated the state government’s continued commitment to supporting the project to ensure prompt completion.

He added that the state government was in touch with key stakeholders towards generating more funds for the project.

On August 11, 2023, the 188-year old mosque collapsed while hundreds of worshippers were observing afternoon prayers, killing seven worshippers and injuring many others.

(NAN)