LSCM Disburses Over N2m Zakat To Beneficiaries
DETERMINED to facilitate the fulfilment of the third pillar of Islam ( Zakat), the Lagos Secretariat Central Mosque ( LSCM) has inaugurated Zakat and Sadaqah arm for the mosque with the focal responsibility of collecting and effectively administrating the Zakat and Sadaqah of the Ummah in tandem with the Shari’ah. No fewer than 64 beneficiaries received equipment, work tools and financial assistance at the ceremony. The Executive Director, Muritala Balogun, said the applicants were carefully shortlisted and thoroughly screened by the Board with the support of knowledgeable members of the community.
He said: “This exercise is meant to announce the arrival of coordinated and harmonised Zakat and Sadaqah process for the community and further create awareness to gain more members to deposit their Zakat and Sadaqah and thus attain their purposes through best administrative processes.”
He added that the applicants were mainly primary members of the community “They were screened using various criteria, including level of deprived needs, distress, availability of alternatives, the amount demanded, purpose among others. Ninety- two of them were screened and 64 were recommended,” he said. He revealed that the Zakat and Sadaqah Board was created and given all necessary supports for its take- off by the Executive Council.
“A team of knowledgeable personalities with high integrity and proven reliability were inaugurated as its Governing Board members on June 16, 2022. Since then, the Zakat and Sadaqah Board has received some Zakat and Sadaqah paid by members of the community in fulfilment of the third pillar of Islam.
He said as part of the Board’s responsibility is to effectively administer the Zakat and Sadaqah to members of the community, the Board embarked on extensive reach- out to well- to- do members of the State Public Service to deposit their Zakat, Sadaqah and endowments into the Board’s account for best administration.
The focus of the Board has been to muster the resources to empower and meet the medical and educational needs of qualified beneficiaries.”
He appealed to well- to- do persons in the community to embrace this pillar of the noble religion.
“I also want to appeal to all the fortunate beneficiaries to apply the benefits judiciously as intended for it to impact positively on their livelihood,” he said.