Pilgrims board collects 2014 Hajj deposit

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board (MPWB) has introduced measures to ensure proficiency and safeguard against fraud in this year’s Hajj exercise.

A statement issued by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Muhammad Lawal Aliyu, said intending pilgrims who wished to perform the pilgrimage through the Board must be registered at the area councils and issued bank drafts.
The statement said the Board had resolved to register intending pilgrims on first-come-first served basis and not to allow bulk purchase of application forms by individuals.

The statement added that the measures were aimed at ensuring transparency in the sales of the 2014 Hajj forms and ensures that intending pilgrims from the territory get the best service ever in the history of hajj operation in the FCT.

The board last Wednesday commenced the registration of its intending pilgrims for the 2014 Hajj across the six area councils of the territory.
Briefing officials of the board before the exercise, the Director, Hajiya Fatima Suleiman Gummi, warned them against corruption and any act capable of tarnishing the image of the administration.

She said there was the need for the staff of the board to ensure prudence in the exercise and charged them to carry out their duties diligently and desist from abuse of office.

Hajiya Gummi said the Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, had given the board political and moral support and, therefore, would not condone any act of indiscipline amongst its staff in line with its determination towards the success of the operation.
She appealed to intending pilgrims who could not make it through the few available seats to bear with the board as a result of limited allocation from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.