As the airlift of Nigerian pilgrims to this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia begins on Thursday, with the inaugural flight taking off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, the Bauchi Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has announced that the first batch of pilgrims from the state will be airlifted to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, 28th May 2023.
This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of the Board, Imam Abdurrahman Ibrahim Idris, at the flagging up of the distribution of 8kg bags and uniforms to the intending pilgrims held at the headquarters of the Board.
Represented by the Director of Operations, Sabiu Barau Ningi, the executive secretary applauded the state governor, Bala Mohammed for subsidising the cost of the uniforms for the state’s pilgrims this year.
He said what the pilgrims paid was really inadequate to produce two sets of wrappers and Himar material for them, hence the subsidy by the state government.
Imam Idris, therefore, advised the pilgrims to sew their uniforms in good time as their airlift to the Holy Land will commence on Sunday.
He also used the occasion to inform the pilgrims that vaccination against contagious diseases is ongoing across the state and urged those that are yet to be vaccinated to do so immediately.
In a related development, the Bauchi State government has indicated its commitment to ensuring a hitch-free hajj exercise this year.
The commitment was given by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ibrahim Muhammad Kashim while leading a high-powered team on an on-the-spot assessment of the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport in Bauchi to inspect facilities there ahead of the airlift of pilgrims.
The Executive Secretary of the state pilgrims board, Imam Abdurrahman Ibrahim Idris, was among the high-powered team that inspected the facilities at the airport, which is one of the designated departure points for this year’s Hajj operations.
