FCTA renews commitment to improved Hajj operation

The Federal Capital Territory Administration on Wednesday renewed its commitment to articulate programmes that would improve Hajj operations in Abuja.
The Minister of State for the FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide, made the commitment in Abuja at the inauguration of the FCT 2013 Hajj first flight to Saudi Arabia.
Akinjide said: “To buttress this commitment for the first time in the history of the pilgrims’ welfare board, some key officials were sponsored to attend an International Hajj and Umrah conference in London.
“This has yielded some positive results as evidenced from arrangements put in place for the 2013 Hajj.
“We shall continue on this pedestal with the ultimate goal of leaving behind a viable agency capable of competing with any in the global Hajj community.”
According to her, every year has its different challenges in Hajj operations.
The minister said that part of the strategy was continuous training and re-orientation of operational staff.
Akinjide said the Pilgrims Welfare Board had to design a realistic means of addressing the problems, adding that open balloting was conducted under the active supervision of key stakeholders.
She said that the exercise was transparent and conducted in an orderly manner, adding that 2,471 FCT intending pilgrims would be performing this year’s Hajj.
The minister urged the intending pilgrims to be good ambassadors of Nigeria in the holy land and pray for peace, unity and prosperity of the country.
She urged the officials to justify the confidence reposed in them by carrying out their assignment diligently.
Earlier, the acting Director, FCT Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board, Hajiya Fatima Gummi, said the board had conducted series of activities for the benefit of the pilgrims in its effort to ensure a hitch-free Hajj.
Gummi listed some of the activities to include sensitisation and orientation exercise, induction courses at the area councils, medical screening for all intending pilgrims, pregnancy test for female pilgrims and immunisation.
Gummi said that the board had secured befitting accommodation for its contingent in Makkah.
She enjoined the intending pilgrims to be law abiding, respect all polices, abide strictly to transport system, feeding arrangements and luggage policy as well as flight schedules.