Some Nigerian pilgrims have decried shortage of toilet in Mina, the holy site where pilgrims gather and spend five days to perform Hajj rituals, otherwise known as Masha’ir, at the peak of the exercise.
HAJJ REPORTERS reports that this year the Mina stay has come with many challenges, ranging from shortage of tents, toilets, food (on the first day), technical problems, among others.
IHR also reports that this year’s Hajj returned to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic, as countries were allocated their full slots, including Nigeria, which received its normal 95,000 Hajj slots.
It was understood that despite returning to normal, the Company of the Mutawwaf, which is the body with sole responsibility of rendering services to pilgrims in Mina, had failed to make proper arrangement to cater for the about 2 million guests of Allah that were privileged to perform the Hajj.
There are series of complaints of poor service from the pilgrims, since day one at the Masha’ir.
Also, Nigerian pilgrims are not left out as they expressed their dissatisfaction with the services rendered during the 5-day stay in Mina.
IHR noted that in each segment of tents, there are about 38 toilets to be used on the basis of 19 for male and 19 for female pilgrims for over 1,500 pilgrims of at least three states combined.
However, some of the pilgrims decried the shortage of toilets in Mina, which according to them, had posed challenges throughout their stay in the Masha’ir.
According to them, 19 toilets are not enough for thousands of pilgrims at a particular time.
A governor from the northern part of the country who was performing his Hajj also complained about the paucity of convenience around the tents.
Abdulrahman Liman, a pilgrim from Kebbi state, expressed displeasure at how pilgrims must join long queue to use a toilet.
“I’m the fifth on this queue. I have spent minutes and will spend more before I use the toilet. This is not how it should be.
“If a pilgrim has an emergency need to use a toilet, must he stay on this long queue to access the toilet?
“There is a need for authorities whether Nigerian Hajj commission or Saudi Arabia, each body that has the responsibility for this should look at this situation and rectify it.
“We need more and more toilets. These toilets are too little for us, considering our huge number,” he said.
Another pilgrim from Kano state, Adamu Danlami attributed the dirty nature of the toilets to its shortage.
According to Danlami, had the authorities looked at the number of the pilgrims, especially in view of the fact that Hajj has returned to normal, they should have increased the number of the existing conveniences in Mina.
“Look at the unhealthy state of the toilets. There is a toilet that has been abandoned because the users have spoiled it. If you go there, you will see human faeces had littered the floor of the toilet up to the entrance.
“This could cause outbreak of diseases like cholera. A human being is not supposed to queue when using toilet. Toilet is essential to human life. Why should they provide small number of toilets without considering the large number of users.
“We therefore called on authorities concerned to look into these complaints and do the needful,” said Danlami.
HAJJ REPORTERS reports that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, in a statement on Thursday, said it has no hand in all the services rendered in Mina.
The commission said that all the services were rendered by the Company of the Mutawwaf at the tented city.
