The Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has said it will prioritise intending Pilgrims who paid their Hajj fares to the Board in 2020 for the 2021 Hajj exercise, Executive Secretary of the Board, Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh, has said.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in llorin, on Tuesday, Tunde-Jimoh said the board had perfected arrangements towards ensuring that all the intending Pilgrims, whose Hajj fares are with the Board, will be considered first for the 2021 Hajj.
NAN recalled that some intending Pilgrims from the state paid their Hajj fares to the Board for the 2020 Pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, but were unable to travel due to the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 across the world.
Some of the 2020 intending Pilgrims, who paid their Hajj fares to the Board, later requested a refund of their payments, while others decided to stake it against the 2021 Hajj exercise.
Mr Tunde-Jimoh praised the foresight, patience and understanding of those Pilgrims who left their Hajj fares with the Board since 2020.
The Executive Secretary assured that activities for the 2021 Hajj operation would commence as soon as directives to that effect were received from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON.
He warned intending Pilgrims against paying their Hajj fares to dubious pilgrimage agents.
NAN
