The Special Adviser to the Governor, Parastatal Monitoring Office (PMO), Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo, has commended the Secretary and members of staff of the Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board for effectively and efficiently executing the Board’s statutory responsibilities.
He gave the commendation recently while on a working visit to the Board as part of his Office oversight functions of monitoring the activities of all the Parastatals and Agencies of the State Government, saying “Our visit is in fulfilment of the directives of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu to monitor the activities of all Agencies of Government in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S agenda”.
According to him, the exercise was to determine the level at which the Board has performed its statutory responsibilities, ascertain its challenges as well as successes and report back to the State Executive Council.
While encouraging the staff to work assiduously towards retaining the State’s enviable status as the number one on Hajj and Umrah operations in Nigeria, he revealed that his office would be deploying the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) instrument to measure the Board’s activities.
He also added that at least two members of staff would be trained on the KPI and would in turn train others on the usage of the instrument for efficient service delivery.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Board Secretary, lmam AbdulHakeem Kosoko, thanked the Special Adviser and his entourage for the visit.
He stated that the Board has not been able to carry out its statutory function for the past two years due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic ravaging the entire world, stressing that there is presently a backlog of over 3,000 intending pilgrims of Y2020/2021 sets on standby for the forthcoming Y2022 pilgrimage exercise if the Saudi Arabian authorities eventually give the green light.
Kosoko explained further that if the Y2022 Hajj takes place at all, it would be a little bit expensive considering the current exchange rates and COVID-19 rules which would affect hotel accommodation, airline fares, amongst other stringent conditions.
On the welfare of the staff, he described his workforce as indefatigable, dedicated and very committed to the ideals of the Agency and expressed his determination to place utmost priority on their welfare and wellbeing.
He, however, sought the Special Adviser’s assistance over the inadequate office accommodation, noting that there is a need to secure a bigger office accommodation so that the staff could have enough space to perform their duties effectively and efficiently.
The highlight of the visit was a tour of offices at the Board by the Special Adviser and his entourage.
