By Stanley Onyekwere
The Chairman, FCT council of Chiefs and the Ona of Abaji, Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa has pledged to support the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board (FCT-MPWB), in sensitising intending Pilgrims, to ensure early registration for next year’s Hajj exercise.
He noted that the traditional institution are the closest body to the grassroot and stand a better opportunity to mobilize the intending pilgrims to participate in the exercise.
A statement from the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Board, Muhammad Lawal Aliyu stated that the Monarch made this point when he received the management staff of the Board, who paid him courtesy visit on sensitization tour of the traditional institutions and other stakeholders on the deadline for the registration of intending pilgrims for 2024 Hajj exercise.
It added that the Ona of Abaji emphasised the need for the Board and other government agencies to engage them in disseminating information on policies that are aimed at enhancing the lives of the citizens due to their closeness to the people at the grassroot and they are read at all times to contribute their own quarter in implementing government policies.
He therefore called on the residents of the territory to ensure their compliance in registering for next year’s Hajj early before the deadline setup by the authority to enable them discharge their religious obligation.
Earlier in his speech at the Ona’s palace, FCT-MPWB’s Director, Mallam Abubakar Adamu Evuti disclosed that the Board had embarked on the sensitization of stakeholders to educate them with the new policies introduced by the Saudi Arabian government and relevant agencies in respect of 2024 Hajj exercise.
Evuti revealed that relevant authorities have fixed 27th of December, 2023 as the deadline for the registration of next year’s Hajj exercise.
He reiterated that the Board has since commence the registration of prospective pilgrims and their requested that residents of the territory who have the intention of performing Hajj through the board should ensure early deposit of the minimum amount before the deadline.
The Director called on the relevant stakeholders on Hajj to assist the Board in ensuring that the message gets to the grassroot in order to ensure that residents were not caught unaware as the policies on the entire Hajj exercise have been changed by Saudi Arabia.
He also called on the muslim community in the territory and other relevant stakeholder in Hajj operation to collaborate with the board in ensuring a hitch free exercise next year.
Furthermore, he disclosed that prospective intending Pilgrims are to deposit a bank draft of minimum of four million five hundred Naira (N4, 500,000.00) only to book their seat for the exercise across the six area councils, and the head office of the Board located at the central business district, Abuja.
He added that the Board has resolved to redouble its effort to enhance services to the registered Intending Pilgrims through the new strategies introduced for the forthcoming Hajj exercise.
