By Salisu Sani-Idris
Gov. Umar Bago has expressed his dissatisfaction over inadequate tents and poor facilities at the Niger pilgrims camp in Mina, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Bago, who stated this while addressing newsman shortly after inspecting the tents for Niger State pilgrims tent.
He threatened to report the matter to President Bola Tinubu for necessary action.
The governor also lamented the sanitary condition of the tents, saying that the facilities at Niger State tents fall below standard.
He emphasised the need for the decentralisation of certain hajj responsibilities from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), the Hajj management body in Nigeria.
” First and foremost, I want to express our dismay as a state for the kind of ill-treatment our pilgrims got. The tent is over populated and very filthy.
” The facilities here are not enough you can see people lying down outside which is not good enough.
Secondly, we need to take this issue up with NAHCON.
” As as state we are going to take over certain responsibilities from NAHCON and we are going to meet President Tinubu on this issue.
“For instance, Niger pilgrims cimplained that the food they are given is unsuitable to ingest
”This is not human, it is inhuman. This is not ok for us and we are not going to accept it.
On his part, the Emir of Borgu, Alhaji Muhammad Dantoro and Ameer Hajj Niger State 2023 said Niger state pilgrims paid for conducive tents, good food but unfortunately they did not get what they paid for.
”We will write our report on this. You can even see where I’m staying as an Ameer Hajj very close to the toilet.
”I said I’m not going to leave this place because I prefer to stay with my people so that we will experience it together.
”Take it from me and the entire pilgrims. It is a disgusting situation and unfortunately there is nothing to write home about.
”But as a Muslims anybody who intends to perform hajj whatever he sees is only Allah that will reward him/her.”
The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the Chairman of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, had expressed dissatisfaction over inadequate tents for Nigerian pilgrims at Mina by the Saudi Company vested with the responsibility of securing enough facility in the area.
Hassan stated this while answering questions from journalists after inspecting the situation at Muna on Monday in Makkah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He also said that the commission was was not pleased with the feeding arrangement which, he said, the meals were inadequate and were served late to the pilgrims.
He said NAHCON envisaged that the problem was most likely to occur and earlier suggested that the commission be involved, but the Saudi authorities concerned insisted they had a mega kitchen and about three alternate plans to deliver to the satisfaction of all.
Hassan revealed that the commission had already notified the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah over the Nigerian plight over tents and feeding.
He further stated that there has been a standing rule that only satisfactory services provided would be charged and paid for, while refunds were made for those poorly handled.
NAN reports that a total of 95,000 pilgrims from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Armed Forces contigent and tour operators are currently undergoing annual hajj ritual in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (NAN)
