Lagos saves N2.4bn from ban on pilgrims’ sponsorship

The Lagos State government has been able to save N2.4 billion from the ban on state sponsorship of pilgrims to Mecca and the state of Israel, the Commissioner for Home affairs, Dr. Abdulhakeem Abdullateef, has said.  The state had last year banned the state sponsorship to either Mecca or Israel.  Dr. Abdullateef, who disclosed this […]

The Lagos State government has been able to save N2.4 billion from the ban on state sponsorship of pilgrims to Mecca and the state of Israel, the Commissioner for Home affairs, Dr. Abdulhakeem Abdullateef, has said.

 The state had last year banned the state sponsorship to either Mecca or Israel.

 Dr. Abdullateef, who disclosed this yesterday at a press briefing at the Governor’s Office, Alausa, Ikeja, explained that government’s decision was as a result of current economic challenges, adding that it would be “most irresponsible” of the state government to spend taxpayers’ money on sponsoring pilgrims.

 According to him, the saved money has been channelled into more developmental projects. “Such expenditure has been deployed into provision of infrastructural facilities in the transformation agenda of the state government,” Dr. Abdullateef.

 The commissioner also said that the state had commenced enumeration of churches and mosques in the state, adding that at present 10,000 churches and mosques are now in the data base of the ministry.

 “This is to allow the state government has a reliable data of churches, mosques and their locations, with a view to carrying them along with state government policies. It is expected that the policy, because of effective resources allocation and efficient management inherent in it, will bring and extend benefits to many churches and mosques in the state,” he added.