Hajj 2018: NAHCON demands compliance with Muna movements guidelines

FEW days to the commencement of Hajj rites, state officials from Nigeria have again be advised to ensure that pilgrims from their respective states comply strictly with guidelines on the movement to Muna.

The Chairman National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) Committee on movement of Pilgrims to, Muna, Arafat, Muzdalifa and back to Makkah, Dr. Aliyu Abubakar Tanko restated this admonition on Monday night in Muna during an inspection tour of tents allotted to pilgrims from Nigeria.

He pleaded with state welfare pilgrims boards officials to caution their pilgrims against carrying luggage during Hajj rites. Dr Tanko also urged pilgrims to observe fidelity to stipulated time for their evacuation.

He also demanded that pilgrims must stay within the precinct of their tents until they are called out for boarding.

He said: “Pilgrims shouldn’t carry luggage, because they delay movement. Please, let’s convey this to our pilgrims in our states so that they can comply.

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“Pilgrims should also keep to time for movement of buses. If we have this understanding and we keep to the time and guidelines, then everything will go smooth.

“Every movement from Muna to Arafat, including Muzdalifa, all the movements are timed. All this is to the advantage of pilgrims.”

Also speaking at a workshop organised by Saudi Kingdom on safety of pilgrims during Hajj, Dr Abdulrahman Bashir, Head of Mutawif, Africa/Non-Arabs insisted that officials must keep to the time allotted for movement of pilgrims.

“We give you time, every country has its stipulated time. The regulation is meant to avoid congestion, rowdiness during Arafat day.”

Meanwhile, Saudi authorities have disclosed that it has displaced air-conditioning units in the tents in Muna with heat-resistant systems from Australia.

The 21,000 new air conditioners installed in the tents have in-built specifications to cool the air for 24 hours a day.

Findings revealed that the project to replace older generation air-conditioners in Muna with new heat-resistant versions started three years ago.

A total of 45,600 new units have so far been installed to keep temperatures in the tents at between 22 and 27 degrees Celsius for the comfort of pilgrims.

The information further disclosed that “more than 2,400 technicians have also been engaged to work round the clock to maintain the air-conditioners and deal with any emergency situation.”

Further checks by Tribune Online on the movement of pilgrims revealed that about 31,569 have so far been airlifted from Nigeria to the Holy Land.