The Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR) has expressed reservations over the impact of the state-appointed Amirul Hajj will have on the welfare of pilgrims during the 2019 exercise.
A statement signed by its National Coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed and Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Mahmoud Monday, in Abuja, said the Amirul Hajj delegations are politically activated team meant to patronise political elite or influential traditional leaders without adding any value to Hajj exercise.
“Moreover, the calibers of people being appointed by the state governments are the people who can ordinarily, pay for hajj seats and even help those in need to perform the fifth pillar of Islam,” the statement said.
It stated further that the appointment of the Amirul teams is worrisome at a time when some of the state pilgrims’ boards are cash-strapped with zero-allocation for overheads and operational costs.
“There are states pilgrim boards/agencies saddled with the responsibilities of conducting hajj activities throughout the year with the sole purpose of ensuring that state pilgrims are taking care of during hajj.”
The statement said the state pilgrim’s boards’ executive secretaries or chairmen had undergone a series of training organised by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and even went to Saudi Arabia to learn the art of administering Hajj operations.
However, the Amirul Hajj contingents rarely add any value to the welfare of pilgrims apart from depleting funds supposed to be meant for the pilgrims’ welfare.
“The state-appointed amirul hajj superimposed themselves on the operations and relegates those who know the intricacies and operational blueprints to the background, thereby creating unnecessary frictions and hardship during hajj operations,” the civil society said.
“We urge state governors to utilise funds being expended on the amirul hajj team to upgrade the facilities at hajj camps or recruit more hajj officials to assist and guide their pilgrims in Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” IHR said
