Blog

Pilgrims

By Salisu Sani-Idris

Madinah (Saudi Arabia), June 10, 2024 (NAN) The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says it has adopted a strategy to reduce the number of days Nigerian pilgrims spend in Saudi Arabia during pilgrimage.

Its Executive Chairman, Malam Jalal Arabi, stated this on Monday in an interview with newsmen, shortly after he arrived at the Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Madinah.

Arabi explained that the commission had succeeded in transporting 100 per cent of Nigeria pilgrims direct to Madinah.

“And you know the secret? Allah helping us, if we are able to achieve this target, we hope to succeed again for the first time in reducing the number of days that Nigerians spend each time they come to perform pilgrimage.

“In the past, you see Nigerians in disarray, loitering about while their counterparts from other countries would have been evacuated back home.

“It is a very good starting and by God’s grace, we will get good results,’’ he said.

He commended the presidency and the National Assembly for their tremendous support towards the success of the ongoing hajj operations.

He also commended air carriers for living up to expectations, saying that “this is because there is trust and we didn’t lie to them. We made them to believe and they believe and they performed.

“We lack adequate words to give praises to our Creator and to thank Him, we can’t thank him enough for what he has done for us.

“I think this day will go down in history as I don’t want to say the first time in history but the first time in a very long time since the commencement of Hajj preparations to say that 72 hours be the closure of Saudi air space, 100 per cent of our pilgrims are here.

“At least those in our cluster and we hope the tour operators too will be able to beat the target as well.

“Of course, that was able to be achieved through the cooperation and collaboration of all stakeholders, both the public and the private sector.

He said that the commission had put adequate arrangements for feeding and medical care services for pilgrims at Masha’eer (core hajj rites period) which is expected to start on June 13.

“We are hopeful that the principle of Tafweej (grouping of pilgrims) will come to play where pilgrims are group for ease of movement and identification.

“Secondly, like we said we have come with a new innovation in monitoring and distribution of food which is very critical and fundamental.

“In fact, this is one of the reasons we won’t even stay in Madinah, myself and a few members of my team are now heading to Makkah to do an assessment of what happened, the report we have received based on what had happened.”

Arabi said that tonight the commission would invite all service providers that were indicted in one way or the other to read the riot act on them.

“Because this time around, a pilgrim is a king and queen and we won’t let them be shortchange, neglected, humiliated.”

According to NAHCON boss, all Nigerian pilgrims should be patient, law abiding and be ready to worship because it is not going to be cat walk.

“From what I have seen while landing in Madinah, the weather is harsh but they (pilgrims) have been told and warned and I’m sure they are ready for it.” (NAN)

SSI/ADA

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab

Attack

Bern, June 10, 2024 (Reuters/NAN) Switzerland said that it registered an increase in cyber attacks and disinformation in the run-up to a summit this weekend that aims to create a pathway for peace in Ukraine.

The government said this on Monday.

According to the government, ninety states and organisations have registered to take part in the talks to be held at Lucerne from June 15  to 16, roughly half of them from South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Russia has not been invited, but the Swiss government said the talks aimed to “jointly define a roadmap’’ on how to involve both it and Ukraine in a future peace process.

Swiss President Viola Amherd told a press conference cyber attacks had increased in recent weeks and was asked how her government was addressing personal attacks against her in Russian media that have been publicised in Switzerland.

“We haven’t summoned the ambassador,” she said. “That’s how I wanted it, because the disinformation campaign is so extreme that one can see that little of it reflects reality.”

Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said there was a clear “interest” in disrupting the talks, but avoided saying who was behind the attacks when asked if Russia was involved.

Switzerland has agreed to host the summit at the behest of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and has tried to drum up support for it among countries that have better relations with Moscow than leading Western powers.

Russia has dismissed the summit as a waste of time. It was not invited to participate, Switzerland says, because it signalled it had no interest in attending.

Cassis reiterated though, that Russia must be part of the peace process.

Its absence had encouraged powerful allies of Moscow such as China to say there is no point in peace talks unless both Russia and Ukraine take part.

That has dampened expectations for any kind of major breakthrough in Switzerland.

The summit at the Buergenstock resort is due to discuss areas of international concern, such as the need for nuclear and food security, freedom of navigation as well as humanitarian issues, such as prisoners of war exchanges, Cassis said.

Turkey and India will participate, Swiss officials said, though it was not clear at what level. Whether Brazil and South Africa would take part remained unclear.

Roughly half the countries taking part will be represented by heads of state or government, Switzerland said.

The summit is due to conclude with a final declaration, “ideally” one backed unanimously, Cassis said.

It also aims to set out what the next step would be in the peace process.

When asked who might succeed Switzerland in the next phase, Cassis said he could not give details.

He noted that efforts were underway for something “outside the western part of the world”.Doing so could boost inclusion of the “Global South and Arabian countries” in the process, he said.(dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

HS

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Edited by Halima Sheji