By Segun Adeleye
Reporter, Abeokuta

The governor, who also inaugurated an 18-member Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board on Wednesday charged that effective leadership as well as provision of adequate oversight function should be observed to avoid the lapses that portrayed government in bad light in the last Hajj operations.

He advised the permanent secretaries, among them journalist, Mr. Demola Badejo, to buy into government’s new vision particularly at the threshold of the second half of the administration.

“You now have a greater responsibility for superintending the resources of the state to deliver optimal services to our people. In doing this I enjoin you to carry out your duties with diligence and to further imbibe the vision of this administration. You should be conscious of the fact that the extent of your effectiveness and efficiency would be determined by the quality of the contributions of your subordinates,” he said.

According to him, the previous Moslems welfare board portrayed themselves in ways that left much to be desired, assuring that subsequent exercises will apply more stringent processes of certification.

“This is to ensure that only people who will conduct themselves with decorum and not send wrong signals about our state to the national and international communities are included on the state’s contingent,” the governor stressed.