Kaduna pilgrims send SOS to Uba Sani over alleged poor accommodations in Makkah
Kaduna State pilgrims have appealed to Governor Uba Sani to come to their aid over poor accommodations secured for them by the state pilgrims board in Makkah.
The pilgrims who are mostly in Madinah said the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Dr Yusuf Yakubu Al-Rigasiyyu, had secured accommodations for 1,400 of them in isolated and hilly areas.
One of the pilgrims, Muhammad Yusuf, told journalists phone that the accommodations are far away from the Grand Mosque and located in isolated Makkah areas with topographical challenges.
Findings by this newspaper revealed that the accommodations are located in the far end of Kudai Zamzam.
According to him, the location is making it difficult for them to even attend the five daily prayers in the holy mosque of Ka’aba.
“Aside the far distance to Haram (the Grand Mosque), that Kudai area is very mountainous. Pilgrims rarely stay in that area,” another pilgrim, Aisha Ibrahim, said.
Insiders at the Kaduna pilgrims board said the executive secretary had engaged two companies for its accommodation this year.
But the first one – which is a major player in the business – was given fewer allocations. The second accommodation agent is simply a “brief case” agent. That is why he secured those ramshackle accommodations in Kudai,” the official who was not authorized to speak, said.
The official explained that Nigerian hajj authorities had for many years banned Nigerian pilgrims from residing in those areas due to distance, poor topography and isolated nature of the areas.
“We were all puzzled when the new Executive Secretary Yusuf Al-Rigasiyyu gave the large chunk of our pilgrims accommodation to that barely known estate agent. This is where it took us now. The pilgrims are already protesting even before they arrive Makkah. It is sad,” another Kaduna official told this reporter in confidence.
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This newspaper learned that Mr Al- Rigasiyyu is now “desperately looking for alternatives. Instead of giving the reliable accommodation provider the largest number, the ES had refused. He gave him some hundreds. And now he has gone back to the same agent begging for 1,400 bed spaces just some days to Arafat,” the official said.
Mr Al-Rigasiyyu’s desperation, it was learned, was exacerbated by the last-minute decision by the new Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, to come to hajj this year.
“This development has worsened an already bad situation. Apart from the pilgrims protest, the governor will certainly visit the state pilgrims in their accommodation and he will see the ramshackle nature of the accommodation procured through an apparent under-hand deal,” another official said.
Mr Al-Rigasiyyu was appointed by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
“He is very desperate now. He has been going from pillar to poll, seeking for 1.400 bed spaces to relocate the pilgrims.
“Kaduna has the largest number of pilgrims this year. However, its airlift operations have been marred by so many administrative challenges.
“We are appealing to Governor Uba Sani to come to our aid. We don’t want to be taken to that isolated place,” Hajiya Aisha said.
Some of the Kaduna intending pilgrims have also expressed worry over the delay in airlifting them to Saudi Arabia for hajj.
They lamented that the Azman Air assigned to transport them to the holy land had deployed an aircraft with a capacity of only 300 passengers.
The pilgrims’ fears was fueled by the fact that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, said last week that it would conclude airlift of all Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia before June 20, that is barely three days away.
When contacted, Mr Al-Rigasayyu, who spoke through his Special Assistant, Ibrahim Shehu Giwa, on Saturday, denied housing its pilgrims in Kudai Zamzam area.
He said the board had secured befitting accommodations for its 5,900 pilgrims who got visa.
He, however, said the pilgrims board has not decided yet on where to house its additional 525 pilgrims added to the state by NAHCON.
“Our officials are still in Makkah searching for a better accommodation for the additional pilgrims. But certainly, they are not going to be housed in that isolated and hilly area,” Mr Giwa said.
