…Airlifting of pilgrims to begin 22nd May.
The Edo State Government recently mobilised the Edo State Muslims Pilgrim Welfare Board to make first-step arrangements for intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to ensure a hitch-free Hajj exercise in 2023.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of Edo State Muslims Pilgrim Welfare Board, Sheikh Ibrahim Oyarekhua, in Benin City during a sensitization programme organised by the board to educate stakeholders including intending pilgrims on the forthcoming Hajj for the year 2023.
Oyarekhua noted that the Edo State Government mobilised the board to go to Saudi Arabia for pre-Hajj to make arrangements for accommodation, feeding, and transportation among others adding that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has already signed an MoU with the Saudi Arabia Authority on the other arrangements.
“As planned, the First flight to Airlift Pilgrims to Saudi Arabia will leave on the 22nd of May”- Oyarekhua noted.
According to him, “We just returned from pre-Hajj where we made necessary arrangements for all our intending pilgrims. We have secured very good accommodation both in Makkah and in Madinah. That of Madinah, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) is solely responsible and that of Makkah, the State is solely responsible.
“We have also engaged the services of caterers that will be feeding us throughout the period we are going to stay in Makkah. The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has signed an MoU with the Saudi Arabia Authority that involves the area of transportation and others for the 6-days of Hajj.
“Our essence of being here this morning is to inform ourselves of the extent we have gone concerning 2023 Hajj operations. As a state, we are doing our best to ensure that this year’s Hajj is better than the previous years. As we all know, there were issues in the past years. There was a year we could not perform hajj at all.
Last year, the number of slots given by the Saudi Arabia authority to the whole world was so small that it could not accommodate all our pilgrims. But for this year, alhamdulillah that the slots given to Nigeria by the #Saudi Arabia authority is about 95,000 slots. And we do hope that this will accommodate virtually all the backlogs that we have had in the past years.” Oyarekhua said.
In his remark, the Executive Secretary of the Board, Iduoze Eselegbe (ESQ) noted that whoever hopes to perform Hajj this year should deposit 2.7 million nairas before the commencement of Ramadan which is expected to begin 23rd of March. He praised the Edo State Government for mobilising the board to have successfully embarked on the pre-Hajj to arrange for accommodation, transportation, and security feeding among others.
Other speakers at the event included the Chief Imam of Benin, Shiekh Abdulfatah Enabulele and Mallam Nurudeen Asunogie who represented the Edo State Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and urged all stakeholders to spread the message.
Source: edo.gov. ng
