A CIVIL Society body, the Independent Hajj Reporters has expressed reservations over the impact of the roles of the state-appointed Amirul Hajj teams will have on the welfare of pilgrims during hajj operations.
A statement signed by its national coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed and publicity secretary, Abubakar Mahmoud said the amirul hajj delegations are politically activated team meant to patronize political elites or influential traditional leaders without adding any value to hajj exercise.
It said the calibre of people being appointed by the state governments are people who can ordinarily, pay for hajj seats and even help those in need to perform the fifth pillar of Islam.
The body added that the appointment of the Amirul teams is worrisome at a time when some of the state pilgrims’ boards are cash-strapped with zero-allocation for overheads and operational costs.
The statement said the state pilgrims’ boards’ executive secretaries or chairmen had undergone a series of training organised by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON and even went to Saudi Arabia to learn the art of administering hajj operations.
