The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has maintained that his administration would continue to support the Oyo State Muslim Pilgrims Board in its bid to have hitch-free Hajj exercises in the state.
While receiving the 2022 Hajj reports from the Chairman, Muslim Pilgrimage Board, Prof. Sayed Malik, at the Presidential Lodge of the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, Makinde urged the Board to constantly engage the pilgrims because regular and early preparations are important and key, pledging to complete the projects at the Hajj Camp, Olodo, Ibadan, abandoned by the previous administration.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Taiwo Adisa, the governor appreciated the Board for the efforts made during and after the pilgrimage despite the challenges faced, which, as explained by the Board, are not peculiar to the state, admonishing the Board to double up its efforts by ensuring that the standard is maintained.
He said: “For us, we don’t make excuses and we don’t say that because something is happening in another state, it should happen here. No. We are proactive and we try to see our things through. If I take the issue of the Basic Travel Allowance as an example, it is something that we should have handled a lot better if those who are supposed to be on top of the situation are actually there.
“On social media, I noticed that some of the pilgrims were castigating Oyo State, saying they were the only ones suffering in Saudi Arabia. I think they also must have learned one thing or the other. As a government, we cannot be blackmailed because we stand up to our responsibilities and take them seriously. It is not as if we are sloppy. But if we have forex issue in the country, what can we do?” Makinde explained.
The governor asserted that alternative plans, which may not bring immediate comfort to the people, would have to be activated, saying the officials saddled with the responsibility of dealing with such issues should frequently engage with the pilgrims so they would not have a feeling of being left alone.
“You may not be able to solve people’s problems immediately but if you give them hope, and engage with them, they probably would have reacted differently. So, it is a big lesson. For the 2023 Hajj, please let us start early as I will still be here to commission the Hajj project. For the Hajj, rest assured of my total support,” he concluded.
Earlier, in his address, the state Chairman, of the Pilgrims’ Welfare Board (Muslim Wing), Prof. Malik, who recounted various challenges encountered before, during and after the 2022 Hajj operation, appreciated Governor Makinde for his moral and financial support towards the Board.
Malik revealed that the governor had approved the funds for the completion of the abandoned projects at the Hajj Camp, Olodo, which were neglected by the previous administration in 2015.
He equally announced that the Board had refunded the sum of Sixty-Two Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty-Six Naira, Sixty-One Kobo, (N62, 556. 61k) to each of the pilgrims that performed the 2022 Hajj in the state, adding that the total amount refunded to all pilgrims was Thirty-Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Nine Thousand, Three Hundred and Five Naira and Sixty-Six Kobo (N37,909,305.66).
Malik said: “Apart from the fact that all the initial hitches were solved, there was no record of any casualty among the Oyo State pilgrims throughout the period of the pilgrimage. All the six hundred and forty-one (641) Oyo State Pilgrims who performed the 2022 Hajj in Makkah returned safely.
“With regard to refund, the governor gave the directive that any Oyo State Pilgrim who could not perform the 2022 Hajj and wants to collect his/her money must be given the money in full without any deduction,” he stated.
The Chairman reported that the governor further directed that all the pilgrims who want to use their money for the 2023 Hajj would be the first to be considered for the exercise and they would not make any additional payment, saying the refund of money was one of the unique features of the Governor Makinde-led administration and is in strict adherence to the principles of transparency, accountability and probity.
