Lagos State Pilgrims Board has over the years at the forefront of protecting and safeguarding the interests of pilgrims to the Holy land. The Board, among other responsibilities provides conveniences, healthcare services and enlightenment campaigns to pilgrims.

As 2015 Hajj preparation starts in earnest as a new government takes over the mantle of leadership in Nigeria, Vanguard spoke to the Secretary, Lagos State pilgrims Board Mr. Sanusi Kamal Adewale and the Chairman of the Board Dr. Abdul Kabir Olawale Paramole, an associate professor who doubles as a lecturer of Lagos State University, Department of Religious & Basic Studies, Islamic Studies Unit on a number of topical issues. Excerpt from the interview.

In what way do you think the incoming Government would affect the 2015 Hajj?

Abdul Kabir Olawale Paramole

Let me start answering this question by going back to the tenure of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Regime, he really affected the performance and involvement of many people in Hajj positively. During his tenure he sponsored nothing less than 750 people from the state to perform the holy pilgrimage.

When the outgoing Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola came in, he saw that as some sort of jamboree which he didn’t want to be part of, so from 750 people he reduced it to 300 people less than 50 percent of what the Tinubu regime used to sponsor.

After a while he reduced it from 300 people to the present 100 people we have today and these 100 slots are solely distributed by him according to the Commissioner For Home Affairs and Culture.

As the present Chairman I have never been part of the distribution of government slots to people. I was at a programme which was organized by the Lagos State Muslims Community where Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, the Governor Elect of Lagos State was invited, one of our members who also attended that interactive section put a question to him and that was “How was he going to support Hajj in Lagos State?”

Aside the fact that he is a Christian he promised “to make Hajj more robust than it is presently” I’m quoting him in verbatim.

I see him as a gentleman and a man that would keep his words,. Aside that, his Deputy Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule who has been my colleague right from our university days is a Muslim sister and with her presence she would be able to support and advice the newly elected governor on a way to support the pilgrims going on Hajj at all times because we have been enjoying such support from previous administrations.

How has the Board affected the Lagos pilgrims?

Alhamdulilahi robiliallamin. The vision of Lagos Pilgrims Board is to actualize blissful Hajj and Umrah operations and articulate the propagation of Islamic tenets. More importantly, our mission is to ensure courteous and efficient service delivery as far as Umrah and Hajj operations are concerned through well motivated and professional work force. So, the Board has always affected the lives of our pilgrims positively even before the baton as the Chairman was passed onto me.

Some Muslims think Hajj is the last pillar of Islam which must be observed last or at least once in their lifetime. Some see it as a means of redemption and a way of seeking forgiveness from Allah. While some others see it as a place where prayers are answered expressly and on this point I can attest to the fact that several people who have followed us to Hajj with the hope of seeking certain things from Allah have had their prayers answered.

I will give you an example of a close sister of mine who had been married for 17years and could not bear a child the following year after she performed Hajj she had a child and presently she has two children. For so many people Hajj has also effectively instilled constant prayer culture in them, that is, observing the five daily prayers as at when due, because during Hajj nothing else takes priority over the spiritual aspect for that is what you have come there for.

Even the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) has said that whoever performs Hajj and does not engage in anything obscene will come out of his sins like a new born baby. Surely, Hajj is where a person can go and when you’re back He/She can be called a born again.

How prepared is the board to handle various issues germane to the well being of pilgrims on accommodation, health, foreign exchange rates, transportation, and other welfare packages?

Thank you for this question because as we speak, the board is yet to conclude on how much the Hajj fare would be because of the fluctuating foreign exchange rates. That of last year was about N168-169 per dollar but now from the Central Bank of Nigeria it is N200 and even at that, it is not stable. On the parallel market, it is going for about N220-N222 per dollar. So, you see this is going to significantly affect this year’s Hajj. On the issue of accommodation, I thank God for the kind of Commissioner the Ministry of Home Affairs and Culture is having Hon.

Oyinlomo Danmole, he has been performing wonderfully well on the aspect of accommodation. He spearheaded the search for suitable accommodation for Hajj pilgrims. We have gone for an inspection on the one he got for us presently and I must say it is quite marvelous, even better than those we have been using in the past.

It is going to house over 2900 pilgrims at a go and we have 3054 pilgrims going with us for this year’s Hajj, everything needed in a 4 star hotel is available in that accommodation and it is very close to the Masjid Al-Haram closer than the ones we’ve been using. On the Health (Medical Screening) aspect we are going to start very soon, as I speak with you a meeting is to be held very soon with the commissioner on who would be leading the medical team on this year’s Hajj, last year we used Dr. Akerele Tajudeen but for this year there are other candidates under our scope and this would be decided after this meeting inshallah.

Having concluded on our medical team being in place, we can start off with our medical screening which would effectively point out people who cannot go with us, like over aged person (well above 65 years) may not be allowed to go with us, pregnant women and some other criteria our medical team and screening would later point out.

We are going to make use of our various state hospitals for the medical screening where tests will be carried out on blood and urine samples among other tests. Last year, we made use of 26 medical personnel but this year, we may not be able to take up to that because of the reduction in personnel going to Hajj by the government. Last year, in total we were given 112 personnel this year we have been given 100.

Why were your personnel reduced, giving the fact that every year you have more people performing Hajj than the previous year?

This is largely because of funding. The government apparently does not have money to sponsor 112 personnel as it did last year. You see for clarity you should know that the 7 board members, schedule officers, medical officials, air lifting and luggage committee are all part of the personnel we are talking about and these different members would work for the success of the Hajj operations and are to be sponsored by the government.

It should also be known that the commissioner is also part of the personnel to be sponsored so from 112 that we used last year it it’s been reduced to 100 due to funding. On the issue of welfare packages, I have said it earlier that the incoming governor promised to make Hajj more robust than it was which means that the welfare package for this year’s pilgrims will be much better than what we have been giving them. The board itself has some of it’s own welfare packages when going for Hajj.

We make sure we give them food like rice, beans, garri, yam flour and so on there would be no decline in this year’s package but instead an increase shall hopefully occur, except if the Saudi Government places a ban on certain food items being brought into the country because during the last Hajj, I was made to understand that some people who came in with things like fried meat and fish were not allowed to take these kind of items into the country because according to them, there were certain food items that the Saudi Government won’t allow to be brought into their country.

For the aspect of our Transportation system, transporting our pilgrims from here (Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board Premises) to Hajj camp has always been the same way from Hajj camp to Saudi Arabia will be done by Max Air Airlines, a very reliable airline as they have shown in the past, although the Saudi Government had said that they would transport 50 percent of our pilgrims from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia using Saudi Air which they have already started doing in other countries but seeing as it’s our turn now, it means that Saudi Air would be air lifting about 1527 pilgrims from Lagos.

That’s the implication. The other half of our pilgrims will be airlifted by Max Air and this would be done without any issue inshallah because for the past 3 years now Lagos state has been having the best Hajj operations in the entire country. We thank God for that.

What are the challenges the Board is facing?

One of our major challenges is the number of days our pilgrims spend on Hajj, if it can be reduced from the present 33-35 days to about 22-25 days. Although presently even at 35 days it could still be recorded as an achievement when it’s compared to a few years back when our pilgrims would spend as long as 60-70 days over there.

What advice do you have for Lagos intending Pilgrims?

This is a question I always look forward to answering whenever I’m being interviewed by the press. Our pilgrims should be rest assured that the board would never play double standard in terms of their welfare over there. I will appeal and advice that our pilgrims should always be patient with us because we will always be there for them because that is the primary objective of the Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board. We are always prepared to serve our pilgrims according to the laws of Islam and both our Government and that of the Saudis.