Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has urged officials of the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board participating in the 2018 Hajj to handle the exercise with professionalism and discipline in order to achieve the best result.

Ambode made the appeal on Monday in Lagos while addressing officials of the board as they prepared the last contingent of 2000 pilgrims for the pilgrimage.

The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Home Affairs and the state’s Amir-ul-Hajj, Dr  AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef, urged the officials to translate the training they received through the Lagos State Services Charter into proper handling, managing and supervision of the pilgrims.

“I urge you to bring the excellent Lagos touch to the way you handle the pilgrims so that they will not have any complaint at the end,” he said.

Ambode expressed satisfaction with the level of commitment of the officials and the pace of the operation, adding that the management team was doing well in spite of the challenges caused by the transportation arrangement.

The governor also advised the intending pilgrims to comply with the rules set by the board and the Saudi government while avoiding acts that might cause embarrassment or attract criminal charges.

He further appealed to the pilgrims to exercise patience as well as exhibit high level of endurance in the course of performing the Hajj rites.

” You have done well so far, and I can only encourage you to continue doing well.

“I will also appeal to the pilgrims to be law-abiding both at home and in Saudi Arabia so that they will not have unnecessary problems.

“They should exhibit a high level of patience, tolerance and endurance required for such spiritual exercise,” Ambode said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 1,902 pilgrims from Lagos had already been transported to the holy land on six different flights.

The seventh and the last flight that would transport the remaining 98 pilgrims and officials would leave later on Monday.