LASG pledges support to Hajj Commission on PPP initiative
By oluwatope Lawanson
L-R: Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan Receiving A Souvenir from the Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat when the NAHCON Chairman paid a courtesy visit to the Deputy Governor at Alausa, Ikeja
The Lagos State Government (LASG) has pledged its support for the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Initiative aimed at enhancing their operations.
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, made the pledge when the members of the board of NAHCON led by its Chairman, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, paid him a courtesy call at Alausa, Ikeja on Wednesday.
He said: “In Lagos State, we pride ourselves in doing things that will always assist the citizens of this country.”
According to the deputy governor, the state government will continue to assist the commission in its drive toward enhancing its operations for the benefits of the good people of Nigeria.
He commended the commission for introducing the Hajj Savings Scheme noting that Hajj operations should be made easier and seamless for the benefits of pilgrims.
Also, it would afford Muslims the opportunity to perform Hajj without stress or fear.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of of the board of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, described Lagos as a significant pilgrimage point in the country.
Hassan applauded the state government for supporting hajj operations in the state, especially, during the launch of the Hajj Savings Scheme.
He noted that Hajj operations had over the years been a multi-dollar exercise which involved a lot of operations and logistics.
The chairman also said that there was the need to manage the exercise, have effective sensitisation and digital transformation of its operations.
He said that to enhance Hajj operations and up the scale of its officers in the country, the commission had come up with the establishment of a Hajj institute that would train its personnel in the nitty-gritty of its operations.
Hassan implored the state government to send its officers for training to enhance their on-the-job performance.
The Chairman said: “The commission is thinking ‘out of the box’ to raise funds for its operations so as to be self-sustaining, and also adopt the PPP initiative by using its properties across the country for the good of the commission.
“We are already collaborating with the Kano State Government and wants the nod of the Lagos State Government,” he said.
(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
