President Bola Ahmad Tinubu has called on Nigerian pilgrims to pray for peace, stability, progress and development of the country as the carry out their Hajj rites.
The President’s message was delivered on Thursday in Muna Saudi Arabia by Nigerian Ambassador to the Kingdom, Alhaji Yahaya Lawal.
He delivered the message while visiting Nigerian pilgrims camps in the tent city to wish the pilgrims a Happy Eid El Kabir celebrations.
The Ambassador said President Tinubu had been fully briefed about the good conduct of Nigerian pilgrims to this year’s Hajj and urged them to continue in that regard.
He felicitated the pilgrims for successfully carrying out their Hajj rites without any major incident. He urged the pilgrims to continue to obey the laws of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia while in the country
Also speaking during the tour, the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan commended the pilgrims for their patience and perseverance due to the inadequate tents and poor feeding from Saudi Service providers when they first arrived their tents earlier in the week.
He reminded the pilgrims that pilgrimage has always been a test and trial for anyone that embarks on it, hence the need for patience and perseverance.
Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan said hardships cannot completely be ruled out of any Hajj exercise, but only mitigated, which NAHCON had all this while been steadfast and unwavering to ensure some relief for the pilgrims.
The Chairman had earlier said every Hajj operation is an experiment that throws up new challenges that would be reviewed as steps and measures are taken to guard against reoccurrence.
Some pilgrims who complained about the poor services and other challenges, nonetheless commended NAHCON over the successful airlift of pilgrims to the holy land and prayed that the return journey would equally be a success.
Nigerian Consule-General in Jeddah, Board members of NAHCON and senior management staff of the Commission were also on the entourage.
Some of the tents visited include those of the of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Borno, Lagos and Adamawa States.
