*As Muslim Pilgrims Board holds training for staff

THE Hon. Commissioner for Home Affairs, Hon. Olanrewaju Ibrahim Layode has given assurances that the State Government would continue to give utmost priority to training and re-training of its staff in order to keep them abreast of global best practices in service delivery. 

He gave this assurances during the flag-off of a two-day in-house training programme organised by the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board for its members of staff, at the Shamsi Adisa Thomas (SAT) Mosque Hall, Ikeja. The two-day training ends on Wednesday. 

“A statement released by the Board’s Public Affairs Officer, Taofeek Lawal, quoted Hon. Layode as saying that the training was in accordance with the THEMES+ Agenda of the State Government. 

He stated that it was designed to further enrich the knowledge of the staff, especially the Schedule Officers (Local Government Coordinators) in order to adequately prepare them for the Y2025 Hajj and Umrah operations both in Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.“The Commissioner also cautioned the participants against revealing official secret. 

I beseech all participants to remember their Oath of Secrecy which bound all officers from revealing official matters without authorization. It is expected of all staff to keep government’s secret, secret”, he said. 

Speaking on the central theme of the training ‘Work Ethics/ Rudiments of Hajj and Umrah Operations’, Hon. Layode emphasized that the topics were carefully considered to address the various issues and challenges that constantly cropped up during the pilgrimage exercises both in Nigeria and the Holy land.

 “He expressed his confidence in the ability of the facilitators to deliver on the topics. He said, “I have no doubt that the facilitators, Mr. Muftau Okoya and Mr. Rahman Ishola (both former Board Secretaries) are well grounded to do justice to the topics and adequately prepare our officers for the task ahead”.

“While urging the participants to see the training as an avenue to further broaden their knowledge about new trends in Hajj and Umrah administrations, he encouraged them to tap from the wealth of experience of the facilitators who are seasoned administrators in their own rights, with a view to deploying same in their future official assignments.