FCT begins airlift of pilgrims July 19

THE airlift of intending pilgrims from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, for this year’s hajj is to commence on Saturday, July 19.

The director of the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Malam Muhammad Bashir, disclosed this at a meeting with officials selected to participate in the operation at the hajj transit camp in Bassan Jiwa, Abuja.

Malam Bashir said intending pilgrims from the territory would be departing the country to the city of Madinah aboard a Flynas airline, which is the official carrier assigned to the territory by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for this year.

He disclosed that the board had already secured and printed visas of over 90 per cent of the intending pilgrims and completed all necessary arrangements to airlift the Pilgrims.

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The director advised intending pilgrims to cross check their flight schedule with their respective area officers or the board premises to know their actual flight and warned against missing of flight by any of the intending pilgrims as those who missed their flight would have themselves to blame.

He stated that the board had mapped out strategy to ensure the security of its intending pilgrims and other intending pilgrims within the zone during their camping exercise this year.

The director called on the officials to take the welfare of the intending pilgrims with paramount importance and ensure that the operation is hitch-free.

He expressed the readiness of the administration to provide an enabling environment for the officials to carry out their assignments in Nigeria and in the holy land and called for the cooperation of all stakeholders to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

He called on the officials to work hard to improve from previous experiences to record more successes in this year’s hajj operation.

About 2,000 intending pilgrims from the FCT are expected to perform the hajj through the board this year.