The FCT Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board has dismissed social media reports of alleged negligence and poor treatment of pilgrims in the Holy Land.
The board, described as baseless, some online reports alleging the lack of proper planning by the FCT Administration, insisting that such narrative were merely a figment of imagination of the writers.
Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for the 2024 Hajj exercise, Dr Abdullahi Kauramata, who made some clarification on behalf of the FCT Administration, insisted that the FCTA, through the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, had made adequate arrangements for its contingents.
He explained that the Board had made timely booking of some of the best hotels and other accommodations both in Makkah and Medina.
He explained that the FCT Hajj Committee had not only considered the quality of accommodations it got for the pilgrims, but also considered their proximity to the Haram Mosque so as to enable pilgrims carryout their daily prayers in the mosque.
While dismissing the allegations, the committee chairman pointed that the FCT Administration takes the safety and well-being of the pilgrims very seriously and therefore set up a sub committee to monitor and inspect the kitchens and facilities of the food vendors it had hired to provide daily meals to pilgrims.
Recall that the FCT Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board had earlier setup a Feeding Subcommittee to monitor and inspect kitchens and other services of the vendors, so as to ensure they strictly adhere to the contractual agreement between them and the FCT Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board.
Kauramata, said that the feeding subcommittee of 2024 Hajj was not relenting on its responsibilities, as he assured the pilgrims that the FCTA will continue to ensure that the right things are done to ensure that pilgrims are comfortable throughout their stay.
“The Director of the FCT Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board, Abubakar Evuti and the subcommittee are constantly meeting with the management of the contracting company so as to properly monitor the services so we can protect the interest of the FCT contingents in the Holy Land.
“The team has been to these kitchens to see things for themselves and ensure that everything is done according to the menu that was given to the caterers and the director even expressed satisfaction with the quality of the services being provided.
“So I don’t know where this narrative of poor feeding of dirty accommodation is coming from. I urge you all to disregard the accusations as they are not true. The are baselessand only aimed at distracting the pilgrims from their primary reason of being here at the holy land,” he pointed.
Kauramata, who said he was not disturbed by the online reports, charged pilgrims not to allow the falsehood distract them from the essence of performing hajj. He urged them to continue to pray for Nigeria, while remaining good ambassadors of their country and indeed the FCT.
