Some Nigerian pilgrims in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have expressed satisfaction with the accommodation provided to them by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.
The pilgrims spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in Madina, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
The pilgrims also commended the commission for the healthy meals being served to them by the commission in the holy land.
Alimat Yakub, a female pilgrim from Kwara State, commended the leadership of NAHCON for putting in place decent accommodation and good feeding arrangements since their arrival.
Yakub said that Nigerian pilgrims could compete with their counterparts from any part of the world in terms of decent and comfortable accommodation as well as good meals.
Also, another pilgrim from Kwara State, Suleman Abdulrahman, said he was delighted with the accommodation because of its closeness to the Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque.
He said: “Gone were the days when Nigerian pilgrims were accommodated far from the mosque.”
Abdulrahman also expressed satisfaction on the quality and quantity of the food that NAHCON was providing the pilgrims.
He said: “We are really enjoying the food.
“I am happy with the improvement in terms of feeding and accommodation in Medina.
“We thank the Chairman of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, for keeping to his words on feeding and accommodation.”
Malam Abdul-Jabbar Sani, a pilgrim for Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, confirmed that the quality of the food being served was second to none.
Sani appealed to the pilgrims to cooperate and obey instructions of NAHCON and state officials, while they should seek their assistance whenever it was necessary.
According to him, the officials of the commission are friendly to the pilgrims and they always listen to their complaints.
Sani expressed the hope that the gesture would be sustained till the end of of the hajj operation.
Similarly, Sadiya Muhammad, a female pilgrim from Bukuyun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, while concurring with her colleagues, urged them to pray for the success of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Muhammad also applauded the Federal Government for securing accommodation for the pilgrims close to Haram, which had prevented them from possible road traffic accidents and trekking for a long distance.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that feeding and accommodation arrangements were under the purview of NAHCON in Madina.
However, the States’ Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards and agencies take charge of such services in Makkah.