The airlift of Muslim pilgrims
commenced with the inaugural flight to Saudi Arabia from the Sultan Abubakar
III airport, Sokoto.
According to Adamu Wakil, a director
in the Ministry of Transport and Chairman of the Aviation monitoring committee,
about 80 thousand pilgrims will be airlifted in the next 5 weeks through flight
operations in 17 airports across the country.
Wakil said safety and security
infrastructure is being given priority in all airports to ensure seamless
passenger facilitation in the exercise.
Earlier Directors from FAAN,
Engr Olufemi Ogunode and Capt Henry Omeogu led various technical teams to
supervise preparatiins for the exercise.
The inaugural flight was preceeded
by an airport ceremony attended by the Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State,
Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alh Saad
Abubakar III and other dignitaries who gave goodwill messages.
Pilgrims from Sokoto and Zamfara
states were amongst those that were airlifted on the inaugural flight amidst
light showers.
In his welcome remarks, the chairman
of National Hajj Commission, Bar. Abdullahi Muktar Mohammed urged
pilgrims to be good ambassadors of the country and shun acts that will bring
dishonor to their faith and country.
The Federal Airports Authority of
Nigeria (FAAN) is providing security and safety oversight to all airports
including State owned airports participating in the airlift.
Meanwhile,Lagos
State Government has announced that intending pilgrims for the Y2016 pilgrimage
in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be airlifted from Lagos as scheduled by the
National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on August 16, 17 and 18
respectively.
The State’s
Amir Hajj and Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef made
the disclosure in Alausa during a stakeholders meeting with the staff of State
Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, adding that intending pilgrims would be notified
of their traveling dates by their coordinators through text messages.
He
reiterated the commitment of the State Government to achieve a hitch-free
airlifting exercise of all Lagos State pilgrims within the designated three
days by NAHCON.
While
reminding the pilgrims to stay away from all items prohibited and banned by the
Saudi Arabian Government, AbdulLateef warned that the State Government will not
tolerate any act of lawlessness and disobedience that may tarnish the image of
Lagos State in particular and Nigeria in general.
He charged
them to be good representatives of the State as well as be patient with their
assigned coordinators and pilgrim officials on specified duties in order to
ensure a hitch-free hajj operation, saying that “No one is perfect; these
representatives are human beings and could make mistakes sometimes, please bear
with them and forgive them, only Allah is perfect”.
The Amir
Hajj also advised all representatives of the State Government not to see
themselves as boss rather they should see themselves as being appointees of
Allah to serve and make the holy pilgrimage easy for intending pilgrims.
Meanwhile, all
intending pilgrims from the State have been told to present a medical report
from their personal doctors to the medical committee set up to care and manage
all matter relating to the pilgrims’ health issues.
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