By Saheed Onipede
The attention of the Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has been drawn to the story published by the defenderngr.com on the above subject matter.
The Board wishes to state unequivocally that it never charged the pilgrims N70,000.00 for the medical screening as claimed by the medium. What was charged for the exercise is N50,000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira only). The cost covers taking blood and urine samples of every pilgrim to test for the followings: Malaria fever, Typhoid fever, Blood pressure, Blood sugar, Cholesterol, Diabetes, Pregnancy test, Epatitis B, HIV/AIDS, Sexualy Transmitted Diseases (STDs), etc. as well as vaccination against diseases such as yellow fever, oral polio and meningitis in order to ascertain their health status in fulfillment of the requirements for issuance of the yellow card for International travel.
Before now, intending pilgrims were usually asked to go to the State owned General Hospitals and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to carry out these tests. It was however discovered that some of them will not actually go for the tests in the accredited hospitals but come up with fake results and when they get to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within weeks, their real health status will come out due to the rigours of the Hajj exercise coupled with the very hot weather conditions of the Kingdom.
It is in respect of this discovery, that the Board decided since 2022 to centralise the screening exercise, by bringing medical personnel from LASUTH and Port Health Service (PHS) a department in the Federal Ministry of Health for the compulsory screening in a Hall close to our office and ensure that their Certified True Copy (CTC) of the results are issued.
In addition, medical doctors are assembled in the same Hall to study each result and administer appropriate drugs for anyone found suffering from one disease or the other. The doctors also follow-up with them to the holy Land to monitor and manage them throughout the duration of the spiritual exercise.
The Board wishes to state that the money charged for the screening was not a deliberate act to fleece or cause untold hardship to the pilgrims. It is a well known fact that prices of goods and services had skyrocketed because of the present economic situation of the country, hence, the ₦50,000.00 charged to take care of every necessary logistics surrounding the exercise.
And also wishes to clarify that at no point did it collect ₦70,000.00 in any Local Government Area neither was the money paid into any personal account as erroneously claimed by the writer. All the pilgrims paid the money by raising a ‘Bank draft’ from their respective banks in favour of the Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board and official receipt of payment was issued by our accounts department accordingly.
In view of the above, we wish to appeal to the writer to try to do a balance report in the future by getting facts and figures from the other side before rushing to press. Acting on the complaints of only one pilgrim out of about two thousands, clearly showed that the writer was only interested in bringing the state to disrepute and damage its integrity and enviable image.
We must at this juncture commend the pilgrims for paying the money willingly and appearing for the screening as scheduled with unshakable trust in the State Government to provide them a comfortable and conducive atmosphere to perform a rewarding and acceptable Hajj rites in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The State Government has secured a befitting hotel accommodation closer to the Haram in Masfalah area of Makkah for the pilgrims. The cost of sacrificial ram, Ihram clothe, ziyyarah (visitation to historical sites both in Makkah and Madinah) and provision of breakfast and dinner in our local delicacies, etc. have been taken care of by the state government, among other things.
These commitments have earned Lagos State the enviable position it presently enjoyed in Hajj administration among others in Nigeria and had received many meritorious award in this regard over the years.
Saheed Onipede, is the Board Secretary
7th May, 2024
