The Kwara State Government has dismissed recent allegations by the state’s chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that pilgrims from the state are stranded in Saudi Arabia during this year’s Hajj.
In a statement released on Tuesday by Rafiu Ajakaye, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the government described the PDP’s claims as baseless and misleading. Ajakaye affirmed that all of the over 2,000 pilgrims from Kwara currently in Saudi Arabia are safe and have not encountered any form of abandonment or hardship.
“I spoke with the Ameerul Hajj and Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, HRM Oba Ismail Yahya Alebiosu, as well as the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims’ Board. They both found the PDP’s statement laughable, as nothing of that nature is happening,” Ajakaye said.
He explained that the repatriation of pilgrims is being managed by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, in collaboration with designated airlines and state pilgrim boards. He added that the return schedule was jointly agreed upon by these stakeholders and not determined by the state government.
According to him, Kwara’s 2,204 pilgrims, one of the largest groups from Nigeria, are scheduled to return in four separate batches on June 21, 23, 25, and 27.
As of June 17, NAHCON figures indicate that only 6,951 of Nigeria’s estimated 41,000 pilgrims had returned home, he noted, questioning the rationale behind the opposition’s claims of stranded pilgrims.
“Today is June 17. Where is the basis for this claim? When exactly were the pilgrims supposed to be back? How does the idea of being stranded even come up when the agreed return dates are still ahead?” he queried.
Ajakaye also urged the media to verify information rigorously, especially when it comes from political quarters, to prevent the spread of misinformation that could cause unnecessary tension or embarrassment.
Meanwhile, the PDP, in a statement titled “International Disgrace: PDP Condemns Gov Abdulrahman’s Silence on Stranded Kwara Pilgrims in Mecca,” accused the governor of failing to address what it claimed was the plight of state pilgrims allegedly left stranded in Mecca after concluding their Hajj rites.
The party’s spokesperson, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, called on Governor AbdulRazaq to provide clarity on the condition of the pilgrims and reassure citizens of their welfare.
