2015 Hajj: 90 per cent Kwara seats have been paid for -Pilgrims Board

The Executive Secretary, Kwara State Muslims Pilgrims Board, Alhaja Fatimah Yusuf has disclosed that ninety per cent of the 1,939 seats allocated to the state by National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), have been paid for by the intending pilgrims. Also, Yusuf revealed that the board has put all mechanisms in place to ensure that the 2015 hajj pilgrimage is hitch-free.

She disclosed this while speaking with Pilot Aviation last week on the preparation of the board towards achieving a hitch-free exercise. The secretary explained that once the payment is completed and the seats are allocated, the next step would be proper registration of the intending pilgrims in order for the board to have every detail of the intending pilgrims them including their health status. The secretary further revealed that no hajj could be described as stress free as it usually comes with various dimensions in each year, saying that the board has always put in place adequate preparation to overcome those challenges. “There is no Hajj that is stress-free and hajj as a journey of a lifetime is usually come with various dimensions in each preceding year. With good preparation we have been able to surmount all the challenges encountered so far over the years”, he said. On the challenges experienced with the state carrier last year, she stated that the challenges experienced were reported to NAHCON so as to assist in chosen the best carrier in the 2015 and achieving a better exercise. She, however, commended the state pilgrims for conducting themselves properly and being Nigeria's good ambassadors, adding that they have been very wonderful while no negative issues whatsoever emanated from their camp in the holy land over the years. Yusuf added further that Kwara State Government has been working in collaboration with NAHCON to ensure that the hostel is put in good condition before the commencement of the hajj proper. The secretary thanked the state government for its intervention last year to make the camp habitable for the intending pilgrims and ensured that the camp was in a good state.