March 30, 2024
The Minister of State Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Mariya Mahmoud, on Saturday assured 2024 intending pilgrims of hitch-free exercise.
The hajj fare crisis, she said, will not disrupt the exercise.
The Minister gave the assurance at a one-day seminiar for officials and intending pilgrims at the permanent Hajj camp, Bassan Jiwa, in Abuja.
Mahmoud, who was represented by her Chief of Staff, Dr Abdullahi Isah, said the administration was proactive in ensuring that all intending pilgrims complied with relevant policies to participate in the spiritual journey.
This, she said, was despite the challenges imposed by new policies introduced by Saudi Arabia and relevant authorities for the 2024 exercise.
To achieve this, the minister said that the administration introduced this seminar aimed at educating the officials and intending pilgrims about the possible challenges of the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
This, according to her, attest 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”.
Mahmoud said the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has started implementation of strategies to actualise the success of this important religious obligation.
She identified some of the strategies as orientation and education of intending pilgrims, radio enlightenment programmes, and medical screening.
Others, according to the Minister, 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.
The Director, FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Malam Abubakar Evuti, said the board had conducted two phases of education and orientation exercises, adding that the radio enlightenment programme would commence after fasting.
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, said that the board would continue with its line of activities in accordance with the efforts by the FCT Administration.
This, he said, would ensure optimum service delivery, so that the intending pilgrims attend Hajj Mabrur.
