The Niger State Pilgrims Welfare Board has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the welfare of its pilgrims for a smooth Hajj operation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In a press statement issued and made available to journalists on Friday in Minna by the Information Officer of the Board, Jibrin Usman Kodo, the board highlighted that the state government had paid for the Hadayah (animal sacrifice) for all pilgrims from the state.
Additionally, it provided each pilgrim with SR 200 as Sallah gifts, enhancing their welfare and bringing relief due to the inadequacy of this year’s Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) given by NAHCON.
“This clarification has become necessary in view of the recent deliberate media lampoon of the Niger State Government accommodation arrangements, alluding to the claim that it is located in an isolated area, far away from the holy mosque, and has denied quite a number of the pilgrims the opportunity to observe their obligatory prayers at the Haram,” the statement maintained.
The statement noted that the recent media reports, excluding Tribune titles, depict a lack of depth in investigation before publication, either being ignorant of the facts or mischievous in an attempt to tarnish the image of the state government. The government’s stance on the activities of NAHCON is aimed at the betterment of the pilgrims.
Usman Kodo said, “It may interest the readers to know that the State Pilgrims Welfare Board has provided seven buses that will be shuttling all pilgrims to and from Haram 24 hours a day to observe their five daily prayers.”
The release further highlighted that the rule is that “yearly, NAHCON pegs the amount for the bed spaces for every state, which is always not sufficient for securing accommodations close to the holy mosque.
“After which, they inspect, negotiate, and certify the accommodation before granting permission to state pilgrims. NAHCON has done all that before the state’s Pilgrims Welfare Board secured the accommodation.”
The statement also emphasised that Niger State accommodations, although a bit far from Haram, were not the only ones in the area. It added that other states also had accommodations in different areas not close to Haram, which were inspected, negotiated, and certified by NAHCON but without providing buses for their pilgrims.
According to the statement, “The board observed that the accommodation arrangement in Makkah for Niger State pilgrims was far better than the accommodation provided by NAHCON in Madina for the pilgrims in terms of standard and structure.”
Hear him: “It should also be noted that the hotels provided for the pilgrims in Makkah are better than most of the hotels close to the Haram, which are in a state of dilapidation, posing risk and potential havoc to our pilgrims,” stressing that “the accommodation in Makkah for Niger state pilgrims was secured after due diligence for safety.”
The statement assured that the Niger State Pilgrims Welfare Board, under the leadership of Sheikh Muhammad Awwal Aliyu, reiterates its support for the pronouncement of the State Governor, Muhammad Umaru Bago, for a review of the activities of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to ensure a hassle-free Hajj operation in the country.
The Board also posited that NAHCON should allow states to handle all Hajj activities, including feeding and accommodation in Madina, feeding and tents in Muna, and providing medical facilities during the entire Hajj operation, among others.
Accordingly, the Board disassociated itself from dissenting views, emphasising that NAHCON should be a regulatory agency, not an operator.
ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE