Some pilgrims from Osun state observing the 2023 hajj in Saudi Arabia have protested over the poor quality of food allegedly served by the State Pilgrims Welfare Board.

In a viral video seen on Monday, the pilgrims were heard complaining about the quality of food they were served.

The pilgrims could be seen discarding food packages that had been delivered.

One of the pilgrims seen in the video could be heard saying, “We are rejecting food given to us. We are at the door of Osun Amirul Hajj. 

“We are rejecting the food given to us. The food is poor. We can’t continue to eat such after paying a huge amount for this pilgrimage,” he added.

Reacting to the development, the board’s administrative secretary, Bolaji Sanni, in a statement on Sunday,  admitted that the chapter lacked adequate native Yoruba delicacies in the service provider’s food menu. 

But, the board has  assured the necessity for its inclusion in subsequent meals.

Sanni said, “At the meeting were the state government officials, some representatives of the pilgrims, as well as the head of the catering team for the service provider.

The statement added, “The meeting discussed the lack of adequate local Yoruba delicacies in the food menu of the service provider and the need for its inclusion in subsequent meals. The meeting also discussed the possibility of changing the caterers if no improvement is noticed.”

It also noted that “this problem is not peculiar to Osun state, and one can not rule out the possibility of fifth columnists blowing the situation out of control for obvious political reasons.”