By Jimoh Babatunde, Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsuru Olowoopejo

Lagos—Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State yesterday pledged to embark on local government reforms with the aim of making the 57 local governments and local council development areas more responsive to the needs of the people.

Akinwumi Ambode

The governor, who made this known during a parley with members of the various Community Development Associations, CDAs, Community Development Councils, CDC and other stakeholders, said the intention of his administration was to give governance back to the people in line with his objective of running an all-inclusive government.

He said his administration’s commitment to make community governance the spring board for economic and social development in the state, prompted the establishment of a Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs which has thus placed community development in the heart of its policy formation.

Commending the efforts of the over 3,100 CDAs and CDCs across the councils, Ambode used the occasion to announce the appointment of the Chairman of the State Community Development Advisory Council, Alhaji Tajudeen Adeniyi Quadri, as a Senior Special Assistant on Community Development Affairs, in a bid to utilise his over 20 years’ experience in the movement.

He also revealed that his administration will create a platform to recognise excellence.

Urges Muslim pilgrims to be good ambassadors

Also yesterday, Governor Ambode urged pilgrims from the state to be mindful of the image of the state and country as they perform this year’s hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking at a one day seminar for intending Muslim pilgrims from Lagos State, Ambode urge the pilgrims to take advantage of the spiritual benefits of Hajj to imbibe the exalted qualities of the Holy Prophet Mohammed.

The Governor who disclosed that the state has 3, 047 intending pilgrims out of the 66, 000 from the whole of Nigeria for this year’s Hajj, said they should be mindful of their conducts in the course of interactions with fellow pilgrims and others in the holy land.
While noting that Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, he said the exercise should be handled with all the seriousness that it required.

“I urge you to take advantage of the spiritual benefits of Hajj to imbibe the exalted qualities of the Holy Prophet Mohammed.
Speaking earlier, the Amirul Hajj and Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on 2015 Hajj, Alhaji AbdulLateef AbdulHakeem, said that the seminar was aimed at developing the right attitude and character worthy of ambassadors of Lagos State in the holy land.