By Adamu Hassan
The appointment of Sani Dalhatu Musa as the new overseer of Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board is being adjudged as one of the best appointment made so far by His Excellency, Governor Nasir Ahmed EL Rufai in his second coming.
The reason stems from the appointee’s background. Sani Dalhatu Musa held various operational positions with a decade long experience in hajj operation in the state. He was the Head of Operations in the last three years and has proved to be the engine room of hajj operations within those years.
As head of operations, he coordinates the operations department and the local government’s pilgrim’s officer’s activities and supervising the entire Kaduna hajj operations both in Nigeria and in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Kaduna was adjudged as the best state pilgrims board in terms of pilgrims enlightenments owing to his practical experience and his insistence that pilgrims enlightenments and education should not be an ad-hoc arrangement.
His profile in hajj operations can be said to be intimidating. Before his appointment as Overseer, Sani Dalhatu was the immediate Head of Operations in the state pilgrims’ board. He was the Assistant Director of Operations and the Zonal Coordinator in charge of zone II. He has served as Pilgrims Officer of Kudan, Giwa, Chikun, Kaduna North, and Igabi local governments where he emerged as the best pilgrims’ officer in 1998, 2000, 2012, and 2013 and also bagged Award of Excellent in Saudi Arabia by Muassasa no. 2 in 2011 and 2012.
In 2011, he was given triple responsibilities as the Coordinator of Kaduna state hajj camp, Coordinator of airport activities during hajj and the head of turadudiyya committee. In 2013, Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero honours him with the Best State Civil Servants award.
Hajj activities are about field operations: Movement of pilgrims from their various homes to hajj camps, screening and boarding of pilgrims, conveying pilgrims from Makkah to Mina, Muzdallifa, Arafat and returns, weighing and conveying of pilgrims luggage’s, guiding and assisting pilgrims to Holy mosques in Saudi Arabia. It is an exercise that requires commitment, capacity, experience and the will to serve the guest of Almighty Allah.
With this appointment, it is of my hope that Kaduna State will move swiftly to reclaim its position in the field of hajj operations in the country. They have the administrative structure, they have the right leadership with vast experience and I am sure his Excellency Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai will avail them with the needed support.
Adamu Hassan wrote this piece from Sabon Gari Zaria
