2023 Amirul Hajj Open Up, Says 5 Pregnant Women Observed Hajj Exercise This Year

Rabiu Omaku

The Amirul Hajj for the 2023 Muslim Pilgrims from Nasarawa State, Justice Aisha Bashir Aliyu has raised concern over the deliberate flouting of the law banning pregnant women from going on pilgrimage, stressing that five heavily pregnant women from the state went on Hajj this year.

According to her, two of the women delivered safely while the remaining three suffered miscarriage, and that, but for the efforts of the executive secretary of the board, Saudi Arabia authorities would have sanctioned Nasarawa State.

The Chief Judge of the State gave the revelation while presenting the 2023 Hajj Report to Governor Abdullahi Sule at the seat of power.

The Amir-ul-Hajj, Justice Aisha Bashir Aliyu, disclosed that 2100 pilgrims were airlifted from Nasarawa State this year, with the state recording one death at the point of departure to the holy land.

Noting that some pilgrims from the State were involved in accidents along the Keffi-Abuja expressway, as well as in Saudi Arabia while traveling from Madina to Makkah.

She commended Engineer Sule for the quality of accommodation and feeding given to pilgrims from the State at the holy land.

“This year’s pilgrimage was one of the most successful.  I can say this with full confidence because I have attended most Hajj operations, and I know. When our pilgrims landed in Makkah,

Pilgrims from the State were shocked to see the quality of accommodation provided for them. In fact, they were asking whether it was a mistake because the accommodation was more befitting.  It was a five-star hotel. In each room, they had a television, fridge, and laundry. And they were well fed,” she said.

She made a case for the State Government to retain the accommodation for next year considering its proximity to the Holy Mosque.

The Amir-ul-Hajj however called on Engineer Sule to employ additional welfare officials, especially for female pilgrims.

“I noticed because I was mostly staying with women. We did not have enough welfare officials for women. We had only Malama Aisha and she had to shuttle between many women and the female pilgrims complained to me about their own personal issues that they could not discuss with male officials.

‘Sir, if we can have more welfare preachers both for females and males, also. Pilgrims need to be taught the basics. Even simple issues of how to use toilets,” she stated.

Engineer Abdullahi Sule has directed the Nasarawa State Muslims Welfare Pilgrims Board, to henceforth desist from allowing people who are not from Nasarawa to use the State as a platform to travel to Saudi Arabia for the holy pilgrimage.

The Governor said stringent measures would be taken to address the ugly trend, describing, saying is unacceptable and unfair, to allow people from other States to use Nasarawa State as a platform to perform Hajj, especially since the Nasarawa State Government is spending a colossal amount of money as subsidy for the exercise.

Engineer Sule directed that henceforth, one hundred percent of the pilgrims must be residents of Nasarawa State.

To this end, he directed the board and management of the pilgrim’s welfare board, to put measures in place to ensure that only citizens of the state are allowed to pay for next year’s pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

“Our team and management need to understand, both the chairman and board members, as well as the Executive Secretary, anytime they bring people from another state, it means the State Government is subsidizing to support non indigents.

“We have so many people from other states who have come to pay at our board. We should look at it carefully and in fact, we have to introduce measures to ascertain who is paying for pilgrimage.  If we are allocated 2500 slots, if we have only 1200, so be it. Henceforth, it has to be 100 percent indigenes of Nasarawa State.

“If anybody wants to go on pilgrimage let him go to other states and not Nasarawa State.  We are subsidizing this a lot and there is no need to take Nasarawa State’s money and take care of people from other states. I am not discriminating, I am just trying to be fair to our people,” he stated.

The Governor warned that with the rising exchange rate, it’s totally unacceptable to allow people from other states to use Nasarawa State as a platform to go on pilgrimage.

On the need to recruit more female and male welfare officers to provide guidance for pilgrims while on pilgrimage, Engineer Sule further directed the Executive Secretary of the board, Mallam Idris Ahmad Almakura, to ensure only qualified welfare officials are recruited by the board.

He explained that the quality of accommodation for the pilgrims in Saudi Arabia was a result of his administration’s decision not to use contractors who are mostly out to make a profit but who always provide all manner of accommodation for the pilgrims.

Engineer Sule said since coming into office, he has been employing the services of a link-man who was willing to accept the minimal margin but who has been able to provide befitting accommodation for the pilgrims.

The Governor used the opportunity of the event to thank the Amir-ul-Hajj, chairman, executive secretary, as well as board members, for the successes recorded during this year’s pilgrimage.