The Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Islamic Matters, Alhaji Abdullah Jebe has described Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration as a blessing to the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Muslims that have performed hajj and those yearning to go this year.
The governor, he said, on assumption of office in 2019 made a provision for buses with full air condition to take pilgrims to and fro Masjid Haram in Saudi Arabia due to the harsh weather.
Alhaji Jebe said the governor increased the money given to pilgrims for Ihram (clothes used for hajj and Umrah rites) from 40 Saudi Riyals to 80 Riyals.
The governor, he said, also increased money given to pilgrims on Arafat Day from 12 Riyals to 40 Riyals.
He said: “So, in 2019, each Lagos State pilgrim got 92 Riyals as a gift from Mr Governor. The Governor also cancelled the tradition of pilgrims sleeping at Hajj camp. He directed that the board should ensure that we provide all logistics for pilgrims to leave their houses six hours to the airlifting time which is what we did during the 2019 hajj exercise.
“The Coronavirus did not allow us to perform hajj in 2020 and 2021. Though in 2021, we did Umrah. At Umrah, the governor made sure all Lagos pilgrims were lodged in the hotel facing Haram; that is a lot of money for anybody that knows what I’m saying when it comes to that peak period.
“For last year’s exercise, Governor Sanwo-Olu directed that all pilgrims should be properly prepared and trained for the hajj exercise. He said things are changing and all our pilgrims must go in line with the technology that is in vogue. This helped our pilgrims greatly last year to complete the hajj rites with ease.”
