As Nigeria prepares to participate in the 2022 hajj after two years’ suspension of the religious exercise, the FCT Administration says it will be embarking on intensive orientation for intending pilgrims to keep them abreast of new policies that may be introduced in the aftermath of the Covid-19 outbreak.
This is as the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board says it will be conducting its education and orientation of this year’s intending pilgrims in seven Nigerian languages.
Director of the Board, Mallam Muhammad Danmallam, disclosed this at meeting with Islamic scholars on the education and orientation exercise for the 2022 intending pilgrims from the FCT.
Danmallam said considering the status of the FCT, the Board will improve on its policy of educating intending pilgrims on how to perform the religious obligation for them to attain an acceptable hajj and get value for their money.
The director called on the Islamic scholars, who would serve as resource persons, to ensure that those who partake in the hajj exercise through the board achieve the desired goal.
He expressed hope that the scholars utilize their wealth of knowledge and experience in educating the intending pilgrims not only on religious matters but in the operation in general.
Danmallam recognised that the performance of hajj after Covid-19 pandemics may not be the same as before considering the fact that the authorities would surely introduce various new policies to ensure a hitch free exercise.
He disclosed that the Board was committed to conducting the education and orientation exercise in phases using English, Hausa, Yoruba, Nupe, Ganagana, Egbra and Fulfulde for the benefits of the intending pilgrims.
The director also pleaded with the resource persons to assist the board in educating the intending pilgrims on the Hajj Saving Scheme which was introduced to ease the difficulties of paying hajj fare at a go.
He charged them to always advice the board on operational issues that would assist in ensuring successful hajj exercise for the benefit of the intending pilgrims.
He added that the Minister of State of the Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, has pledged to do everything possible to ensure that this year’s hajj exercise recorded the best ever success for the benefit of the residents of the Territory and therefore called on all stakeholders to redouble their effort in ensuring that contingent to the hajj from the FCT get the best services in line with world travel standard.
In his remark at the meeting, the leader of the scholars and the chairman of Committee of Imams in the FCT, Sheikh Tajuddeen Adegun, pledged to everything possible to ensure that the intending pilgrims from the territory get the basic rudiment of hajj that would guide them to achieve acceptable hajj in line with Islamic injunctions and teaching of the noble prophet Muhammad.
Sheikh Tajuddeen emphasised the determination of the resource persons in providing proper guidance of the intending Pilgrims throughout the hajj exercise.
