The First batch of this year’s intending pilgrims from Kwara State totaling a little above five hundred will depart for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Thursday (16th/June/ 2022) enroute Ilorin International Airport .
The Chairman, Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Doctor Abdulkadir Sambaki disclosed this at the end of the enlightenment programme organised by the Board for this year’s intending pilgrims from the State, held at the Board premises, Ilorin.
Doctor Sambaki who said that all arrangements have been concluded to ensure a smooth Hajj operations, charged the intending pilgrims to obey the rules and regulations of the exercise and be good ambassadors of the state and the nation at large.
He implored them to ensure that they collect their complete dose of covid- 19 vaccinations and were fully immunized against other diseases before embarking on the exercise.
In his remarks, the State Amir Hajj, Doctor Awa Ibrahim Akewusola advised the intending pilgrims to follow the rules laid down by the Board for a smooth exercise.
Doctor Akewusola commended the state government under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for providing all the funds and logistics needed towards having a hitch free exercise.
The Amir Hajj cautioned the pilgrims particularly the females among them to guide against engaging in abusive and row languages and shun querelling in the holy land as well as indecent dressing warning that the Holy land is not a place of funfair or jamboree but solely a place of worship.
In his goodwill message, the state Governor , AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq who was represented by the Secretary to the state government, Professor Mama Saba- Jibril also called on this year’s intending pilgrims from the state to be good ambassadors of the state , the nation and Islam .
He enjoined them to follow the instructions of the Board before their departure and while in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and as well pray for peace and economic growth in the country.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Board, Barrister AbdulGaniy Ahmed urged those that will perform this year’s Hajj to appreciate God for being among those that would perform the exercise.
In an interview with VON, Barrister Ahmed blamed the increasing Hajj fare on inflationary trend across the globe.
He disclosed that each pilgrim from the state paid two point five million Naira as Hajj fare and expressed the hope that by next year, there might not be much restrictions by the Saudi authorities as barrier for age limit which was pegged to sixty five years for this year’s exercise.
Ahmed stated that one thousand , five hundred intending Pilgrims from Kwara State will be performing this year’s Hajj exercise to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
According to him, the flight schedule of the intending Pilgrims shall not be altered while adequate arrangements have been made for their acomodation, transportation and feeding while in the holy land.
VON reports that NDLEA officials were also on ground during the enlightenment programme to caution the intending pilgrims against being in possession of contrabands, hard drugs and other prohibited items.
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