The Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Muslim wing Secretary, Alhaji Abdulkarim Adeleke on Thursday, said the Oyo State government has nullified the sponsorship pilgrim for the 2015 Hajj.
Adeleke disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Ibadan. He said that the state government cancelled the sponsorship of pilgrims to the 2015 Hajj year due to economic difficulties.
“Out of the 1,241 pilgrims assigned to Oyo State by the National Hajj Commission (NAHCO) for 2015 Hajj, none of the intending pilgrims was sponsored by government.
“The intending pilgrims for Hajj 2015 are mostly self-sponsored.”
He said that more than 1,100 pilgrims would perform the Hajj through the Oyo State Camp, adding that processing of their visas had reached advanced stage.
“The first batch of pilgrims numbering about 540 will take off on the 25th of August from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
“The second batch of 540 pilgrims will leave for Saudi Arabia on the 26th of August from the Lagos Airport, while the rest will leave by August 28th.”
According to him, the issue of pilgrims taking off from Ibadan Airport has not been feasible this year.
“The intending pilgrims have been sensitised by the board on how to perform some duties during the exercise and they are expected to adhere strictly to rules handed down by the Saudi authorities.
“Hajj 2015 did not register any pregnant woman this year, since the Saudi authorities clamped down on accepting pregnant women for Hajj.
“The intending female pilgrims were subjected to pregnancy test through our medical team,” Adeleke said.
He however, stressed that people with terminal illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension were informed to travel with their medication and submit the medication to the medical team for easy passage at the airport.
