2015 Hajj: Jigawa secures 3 hotels for 2,404 pilgrims

From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

The Jigawa state Pilgrims Welfare Board has rented three hotel buildings in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for accommodating 2,404 pilgrims allocated to the state for this year’s Hajj operation.

Speaking to our reporter in his office, the Executive Secretary of the board, Alhaji Sani Alhassan Muhammad said the rented houses would accommodate 2,239 pilgrims that would perform the Hajj from the state.

He said another accommodation that would house the state’s Amirul Hajj, state government delegation and offices have also been secured.

He further explained that the houses are al-Jabir, with 1,289 capacity and Qhasal Haram, with 239 capacity, which are all located along the Shar Sittin Street of Makkah as well as ibn-Afif House, with 709 capacity along Shar Mansoor street, also in Makkah, that are also not far from the Holy Ka,aba.

Alh. Sani Alhassan Mohammed explained that, according to their assessments, all the three houses are standard and they have hotel-designed facilities, well furnished and each room has a self-contained toilet, television, fridge, air condition and other necessary facilities to make life comfortable to the intending pilgrims while at the holy land.

The Executive Secretary added that already, a sign board for Jigawa state government has been placed in front of each rented house as well as rooms numbering, adding that each local government area of the state has been allocated their rooms, for easy identification and coordination.

He also added that already, the collection of Hajj deposits for the first batch of this year’s intending pilgrims had been completed and they are now waiting for the allocation of second set so as to commence the orientation of the pilgrims across the state.

He noted that very soon the board, in collaboration with the state council of Ulama, will commence the training of personnel, through a trainers’ workshop for the selected Ulamas, in order to train the Islamic scholars, who will give an orientation to the intending pilgrims at home before their departure to the holy land.