Lagos withdraws from sponsorship of pilgrimages

Lagos State government will no longer sponsor pilgrims to Jerusalem and Mecca.

Abdulateef Abdulhakeem, state commissioner for home affairs, who disclosed this Thursday, said the decision to stop further sponsorship of pilgrimages was arrived at because government considered it irresponsible way to spend tax payers’ money.

He spoke when members of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Home Affairs, led by Olayiwola Olawale visited him in his office, in furtherance of their oversight function.

“Part of our mandate is the supervision of the Pilgrims Welfare Board. Recently, the governor and the state executive council approved a policy for the state to stop sponsorship of pilgrimages and that is in line with the policy thrust of the government.

“In these days and times when we are talking about paucity of funds coupled with inhibiting challenges that the government has to take care of. We can no longer afford to spend the sum of one million on one single individual to go on pilgrimage when the scripture did not compel anyone to do so,” he said.

Olawale on his part described the decision as laudable and had the backing of the legislature, saying, “We are happy with the steps taken by the ministry to ensure religious harmony in the state. We will also support this with the necessary laws.”