By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Alhaja Gawat Fatimat Folashade, wife of the missing Islamic programme presenter on NTA, Alhaji Aremu AbdurRasaq Gawat, has been appointed member of the Adhoc Committee for 2015 Hajj in Lagos State. The appointment which takes immediate effect was approved by the State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.

The Amirul Hajj and chairman of the Committee, Alhaji AbdulLateef AbdulHakeem, expressed appreciation to the governor, promising that he and his team would not let the state down.

He also assured that the committee would work assiduously and represent the state well at the holy land.

Other members of the committee include; Mr. Danmole AbdulHameed Ademola, Dr. Paramole Abdul Kabir, Alhaja Latifat Adewale Omolara, Alhaja Risikat Ogunbunmi, Alhaji Monzor Olowosago, Alhaji Abdul Ganiyu Opeloyeru, Dr Sopeyin AbdulGaniyu Oluremi, Alhaji Jinadu Lawal, Dr. Lateef Adetona and Dr. Nasirudeen Onibon.

Gawat was declared missing on July 6, 2015, and since, his sudden disappearance has remained a mystery to many, with so many unanswered questions. The police has not made any breakthrough on the issue just as it maintained that investigation continues.

Inaugurating the committee at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, earlier this week, Ambode expressed his administration’s commitment to improve the welfare of Pilgrims from the state while on spiritual exercise to Holy Land.

According to the governor, “My administration shall ensure an improvement in the welfare of Lagos Pilgrims in the Holy Land. I have approved the immediate commencement of a decentralized weekly orientation programme in all the Local Government Areas which commenced on Saturday 25th July and it is aimed at developing the right attitude and character worthy of ambassadors of Lagos State in the holy land”.

“The spiritual orientation shall also be held at the state level before the 18th of August”, the governor said.

Ambode also reiterated his administration’s resolve to ensure peaceful and harmonious co-existence among residents just as he promised to strengthen the institutions and agencies saddled with coordinating religious affairs.

“As part of this administration’s resolve to ensure a peaceful and harmonious religious co-existence among all Lagosians, we shall strengthen the institutions and agencies saddled with the responsibilities of coordinating religious affairs”, he said.

He said since Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam is held tenaciously by Muslims, the exercise should be handled with all seriousness that it requires, hence, the need to appoint the Amirul Hajj and interim committee to coordinate the activities of the Hajj exercise.