Uncategorized
FG urged to reduce age limit of intending pilgrims to 75yrs
The Federal Government and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) have been advised to regulate and reduce the age limit of pilgrims from the country to the holy land to between 70 and 75 years.
The Kwara State Amirul Hajj for the 2017 operation, Professor Suleiman Jamiu, stated this in Ilorin noted that “this would reduce the burden of the executive or members of the various states Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board face in taking care of the aged pilgrims particularly those of them that were not accompanied by another younger pilgrim.”
ROYAL NEWS reports that the varsity don who expressed his views in Ilorin while speaking with journalists at the weekend urged those concern authorities to as a matter of urgency take note during subsequent hajj operations to ensure that only healthy and able bodies are cleared to perform the pilgrimage.
According to him, “Two pilgrims, a Fulani male pilgrim and another female who hailed from Ogbomosho in Oyo State that traveled from Kwra State and died during the just concluded pilgrimage while a total number of 14 Nigerian pilgrims died across the country.
Prof. Jamiu commended NAHCON and the Kwara State Government for providing a conducive environment for pilgrims in Saudi Arabia particularly in the areas of feeding and accommodation and attributed the success recorded to the experience of the executive of the hajj committee under the leadership of the executive secretary of the pilgrims board, Alhaji Tunde Jimoh.
He also called on stakeholders in the hajj operations to ensure that African food are served in future pilgrimages and recalled that most of the foreign food served Nigerian pilgrims were wasted due to the taste of the food.
The don however stressed the need for the Saudi Arabia and Nigerian Governments to work in partnership in the planning of future hajj operations for proper organization and lauded the Chairman of the NAHCOH, Barrister Abdullahi Mohammed Muktar for setting up a committee in preparation for next year’s pilgrimage.
Contact: info@royalnews.com.ng