Hajj: How Kaduna achieved seamless airlift of pilgrims ― Director

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani’s mandate to the State Pilgrims Welfare Agency to ensure a hitch-free Hajj and to take maximum care of pilgrims before and during their stay in Saudi Arabia is the reason for the successful airlift of pilgrims to the Holy Land.

The Director of Operations and the Head of Information, Communication and Technology of the agency, Abubakar Usman Yusuf, said this to newsmen in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

“The governor gave the agency a mandate to ensure that pilgrims’ welfare is the utmost priority. His Excellency also promised that his administration will conduct Hajj differently from what it used to be in the past,” he stated.

Abubakar said the agency’s officials also reviewed past operations and identified problematic areas, as well as leveraged their collective experience to avert such hitches.

The director disclosed that the agency engaged all relevant stakeholders in both Nigeria and Saudi Arabia to find solutions to potential problems and took steps to avoid them.

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He added that the agency has also taken steps to achieve success during the pilgrims’ stay at Mashair, that is the tent city of Muna, the plain of Arafat and Muzdaleefa.

Abubakar said: “We have engaged competent staff that will ensure a hitch-free exercise. The pilgrims have also been sensitised about the necessary acts of worship during that period.

“So, right from the airlift to the next phase of the Hajj, pilgrims have been sufficiently educated on what to do. That is why we have so far had a smooth exercise. So, we envisage that the next phase of the pilgrimage will equally be smooth.”

Speaking on accommodation and other services, Abubakar said the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency adopted an open competitive bidding which ensured that it engaged the best service providers at the least cost.

According to him, each service provider was benchmarked based on its cost, past record, and capacity to deliver.

“We inspected the hotels where our pilgrims are now being accommodated during our pre-Hajj visit,” he added.

The Star