By Stanley Onyekwere
Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, has assured 2024 intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia of a hitch-free Hajj exercise.
She gave the assurance at a one-day seminar for officials and intending pilgrims, at the permanent Hajj camp, Bassan Jiwa, in Abuja, at the weekend.
Mahmoud, who was represented by her Chief of Staff, Dr Abdullahi Isah, said that administration was proactive in ensuring that all intending pilgrims complied with relevant policies to participate in the spiritual journey.
This, according to her, was despite the challenges imposed by new policies introduced by Saudi Arabia and relevant authorities for the 2024 exercise.
She explained that the administration introduced the seminar aimed at educating the officials and intending pilgrims about the possible challenges of the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
She added that teb serminar attests to the seriousness of the administration’s desire towards recording more successes in the exercise.
“It is the conviction of the current administration that the pilgrimage to the holy land is a journey of a lifetime which every Muslim with all the means is enjoined to partake.
“The present administration remained committed in doing everything possible to ensure that FCT contingent gets the best treatment compared to any other state of the federation or even the world in all ramifications”, she added.
The minister also disclosed that the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has begun implementation of strategies to actualise the success of this important religious obligation.
She however, identified some of the strategies as orientation and education of intending pilgrims, radio enlightenment programmes, and medical screening.
She added that others are inoculations and other programmes organised to address possible obstacles that may hinder the success of the Hajj operation.
“I am, therefore, convinced that with the commitment of the entire officials, coupled with full-fledged conduct of our intending pilgrims both at home and in the holy land, this year’s Hajj operation, despite all possible challenges, would by the grace of Allah, be rated higher than the previous ones”, the minister said.
Earlier, the Director, FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Malam Abubakar Evuti, informed the stakeholders that the board had conducted two phases of education and orientation exercises.
Evuti added that the board registered low turnout of intending pilgrims for the 2024 exercise due to the high cost of hajj fares.
He, however, noted that the board would continue with its line of activities in accordance with the efforts by the FCT Administration.
He added that it would ensure optimum service delivery, so that the intending pilgrims attend Hajj Mabrur.
