By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Federal Capital Territory Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board (FCT-MPWB) has disclosed that about the 3,651 intending Muslim pilgrims who have all paid would soon be screened by the Board to perform the 2023 Hajj exercise.
It also disclosed that those who are yet to complete their payments are expected to do so before next week’s Monday.
Director of the Board, Malam Abubakar Adamu Evuti, who made this known yesterday said that intending pilgrims, who made deposit of N2, 500,000.00 were asked to pay up the balance of the 2023 Hajj fare for the FCT as released by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on or before the NAHCON deadline of 21st April, 2023.
Malam Evuti noted that the medical screening exercise will commence on Friday 5th May, 2023, with intending pilgrims from Bwari area council and the Headquarters, followed by those from Abaji, Kwali and Gwagwalada Area Councils on Saturday 6th May 2023, while those who registered through Kuje and Abuja Municipal Area councils as well as those who registered under the Hajj Savings Scheme will be screened on Sunday, 7th May, 2023 respectively.
He said,”So far a total of 3651 intending pilgrims have completed their payments and the board has since continue with the process of securing their visa and as soon as the portal is open, we shall commence the application and printing of their visa for the journey.”
“Our preparation for this year’s operation commenced with the collection of hajj fare deposit as from 2022, pegging the minimum deposit at N2.5 million and a reasonable number of intending pilgrims booked for their seats with the Board even before the release of our initial Hajj allocation of 3520 seats by the NAHCON.”
“In order to equip our intending pilgrims with the basic rudiment of hajj rites and relevant guidelines for the exercise, the Board conducted the first phase of Education and Orientation exercise at our Permanent Hajj Camp, Bassan Jiwa near the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja in March this year, and the second phase was conducted last weekend.
He added that inoculation exercise which enables securing of Yellow Card for this year’s intending pilgrims will be conducted simultaneously with the final phase (practical) of the education and orientation on Saturday 13th to Sunday 14th May, 2023.
According to him, the board has already secured befitting accommodations for all intending pilgrims around Hafair area in Makkah which is very close to the holy Masjid (Haram) approved by NAHCON.
Arrangements with caterers and all other service providers in Saudi Arabia have been signed and sealed, he explained.
Furthermore, he disclosed that one of the innovations this year is to allow intending pilgrims to choose the flight they intend to travel to curtail the challenge of No-Show experienced last year during the airlift to Saudi Arabia.
Any pilgrim who refuses to show up for his/her flight would be sanction by the board and may even result to forfeiting the trip this year, Evuti warned.
“I would like to reaffirm the readiness of the board and in deed the FCT administration in ensuring that intending pilgrims from the Territory get the best services ever in Hajj exercises in line with the best global practice in the Hajj Industry as necessary measures have been put in place to record more successes in the operation even though each hajj exercise come with its own peculiarities.”
He commended the FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, the Minister of State FCT, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola and Director Human Resources, Mallam Muhammad Bashir for their unflinching support to the Board, at all times.
