Intending pilgrims from Nigeria for the 2024 Hajj exercise to Saudi Arabia have again been reminded to ensure full payment of the N4.5 million before the expiration of the payment deadline on Sunday, 31st of December.
The Chairman of Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Professor Moshood Jimba gave this reminder while speaking with Newsmen in Ilorin, the State capital, North Central Nigeria.
Jimba said “that failure of intending pilgrims to complete their payment before the deadline which is less than a week’s time will mean that such pilgrim will automatically miss the upcoming Hajj exercise.”
He warned that there might not be extension of the deadline by either the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON or the Saudi Authorities.
He also explained further that NAHCON has asked all intending pilgrims to tentatively pay N4.5m as fare for the 2024 pilgrimage to the holy land.
Jimba further said that “any pilgrim unable to pay up to that amount should forget about participating in the upcoming Hajj exercise because the moment the deadline ends, the board will remit the money in their custody to NAHCON.
According to him, the Saudi Authorities wouldn’t want the reoccurrence of late payment as it occurred last year which eventually led to lateness in the issuance of visas.
The board chairman said the Saudi Authorities have therefore mandated that five months to Hajj, all payments and other logistics must have been sorted out.
Speaking on the preparation of the board to ensure a hitch-free operation, he stressed that his past involvement in the hajj operations as well as his familiarity with previous chairmen of the board would come handy as needed experience to succeed in his new capacity.
Jimba who is the Dean , student Affairs, Kwara State University, Malete, (KWASU) pointed out that lack of organisation for accommodation and dwindling Naira exchange rate are major challenges faced during Hajj operations as well as lack of patience on the part of the the pilgrims .
He, however, assured the people that NAHCON was working relentlessly to overcome and sort out such challenges in future Hajj exercises across the country .
Jimba stressed further that “one of the problems we encounter in Saudi Arabia is accommodation when we get to Muna where we spend three nights as well as at the Arafat and Musdalifah, due to the massive crowd, some people often get lost and separated from their people which often lead to frustration for the pilgrims.
“Also the problem of foreign exchange, people will now have little money to get by due to the dwindling exchange rate of Naira, we know how much Naira was exchanged for Dollar during the previous Hajj exercise and we know how much it is now and this always lead to frustration amongst the pilgrims.”
“In the coming weeks NAHCON is meeting with chairmen and secretaries of all the States in the federation in Makkah for a workshop after which they will meet with the contractors handling the feeding, accommodation and transportation and hopefully things would be sorted out there.” he explained.
The Board Chairman while explaining the tasking nature of managing Hajj operations, said that there can’t be a perfect job done during the spiritual journey but noted that there can only be an improvement.
He said; “Hajj operation is very tasking and it isn’t something one can boast of having its total knowledge, one can’t do a perfect job even the Saudi authorities also experience lapses here and there and they make efforts to correct them in subsequent years.
“There was a year we had a crane incident and that kind of thing may happen where we have a crowd of about 3 millions people in just one city ,there can not be a perfection in its organisation if we want to be honest but one would try his best to ensure that problems are minimised. ”
The newly appointed chairman of the board however, promised that he would do his best to repay the confidence the State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has shown in him.
He also appreciated the support the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari has given him.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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