Religion and Beliefs

Religion and Beliefs

The Nigerian Political Economy: 2007 elections: A do or die affair indeed

The Nigerian Political Economy: 2007 elections: A do or die affair indeed

THE NEW PASSPORT/ VISA POLICY FOR 2009 HAJJ

Editorial

Abubakar Usman

On his courtesy call to the comptroller General of the Nigeria immigration service, the chairman national hajj commission (NAHCON) Mal. Muhammad Musa Bello, disclosed the directives as contained in a letter from the Saudi Arabian authorities to the commission as regards 2009 hajj passports and visa issuance. According to Mal. Mohammad Bello, the issuance of the visas will only be
on international passports and not on hajj passports as used previously. The chairman averred that, “the new policy intends to make hajj operations hitch free...” and that it applies to all countries of the world and not just Nigeria alone. He added that the new measure could go a long way in curbing the menace of immigration irregularities.

Positive new developments are always welcome and are desirable for the good of all operations. What makes new development important is its substance and relevance in the light of its objectives.

Hajj operations are by every means beyond a mere immigration exercise. So it is contestable to say that the new policy would result in hitch free hajj operations. Immigration remains an aspect of hajj operations which’s success cannot translate to hitch free hajj operations as a whole.

More so, It is contestable to say that the policy can solve common immigration problems as standard international passports have always been used for the purpose of umrah and hajj by tour operators. And the kinds of immigration problems that the new passport regime seeks to address are still prevalent and unabated. Even the nascent experiment with the E-passport did not perform any miracle either.

However, the new system may be said to have some inherent benefits. It can actually help in checking the problem of other people using passports meant for others. Though not any different from what the hajj passport can still do. The new passport is also like a re-alignment with new global developments. It can be laudable for its susceptibility to modern high-tech processes.

As the chairman said, the policy is applicable to all countries of the world. But countries like India have since despatched a delegation to Saudi Arabia to canvass for a two year moratorium on the implementation of the policy for India. Even though according to them, they are fully ready to comply.

It is our opinion that the National Hajj Commission, whilst working to conform with the policy demands, should also brainstorm along with all stakeholders on the real underlying issues involve in the policy and how it affects Nigeria and the way forward. By these we may have a case to register with the Saudis just like the Indians.

THE BLACK STONE, A Marker and a Tradition

THE BLACK STONE

By Nazir Asri

The black stone or hajr Aswad set up five feet from the ground in the south-eastern corner of Ka’aba has always been an object of interest for Muslims and non- Muslims alike. The black reddish coloured stone, with

a 30-centimetre diameter and surrounded by a silver frame, is the starting point for the Muslims doing tawaf of the Ka’aba.

Tawaf is an Arabic word meaning to circle, compass or move around something. A person performing hajj, umra or just visiting the grand mosque in makka is required to circle or circumbulate the Ka’aba seven times to complete tawaf. Each one of the seven rounds begins by kissing or caressing or by simply waving at the black stone.

The holly Quran refers to Makkah and harram as: “the first sanctuary appointed for mankind was that at Bakka a blessed place, guidance to the peoples.” (Ali Imran, 96)

Since hundreds, and even thousands of people circumbulate the Ka’aba round the clock at times it is difficult to reach the black stone. Scholars agree that in such a situation it is enough to simply wave in the direction of the black stone from any distance at the start of each round. There are neon lights on the ground floor as well as on the first and second floor indicating the direction of the black stone.

Until recently there use to be a line on the floor of the haram showing the direction of the black stone on the line at each round to read the starting supplication. Many people even started offering sallah (prayer) on the line itself thus coming in the way of smooth flow of people moving around the Ka’aba. So the authorities removed the line to the relief of pilgrims in general.

The Ka’aba is nearly in the middle of the haram as it was built through the centuries around this most holy of sites, in the shape of a big, high cube with a height of 15 metres.

The door is at its eastern wall. Two meters above the ground. It is made of solid gold but has changed throughout history. The four corners of Ka’aba are the Black Stone corner, the shami corner (referring to the most north-eastern corner), the yemani corner (the south-western corner) and the Iraqi corner. The top of the northern wall there is the mizab a water drain element which is made of pure gold.

The black stone, though having such a significance as the starting point for the tawaf, is not been mentioned at all in the holy Quran. But we do find some traditions of prophet mohammad (pbuh) regarding the black stone. Kitab Al-Haj in tirmidhi quotes the prophet as saying: “The black Stone descended from heaven, when it was whiter than milk, but people’s sin has blackened it.”

In Bukhari, volume 3 book 26, number 667 Abis bin Rabia is quoted as saying: “caliph umar came near the black stone and kissed it and said, ‘No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah’s apostle kissing you I would not have kissed you.”

A Jeddah based scholar Dr Syed Saeed Ahsan Abdi has debunked the belief that the black stone is the right hand of Allah Almighty and whoever caresses it, he pledges never to violate his rules or that, those who did not have the opportunity to express allegiance at the hands of prophet mohammad (pbuh) can do so by caressing the stone. He said the hadith is totally fake because one of its narrators was Aban Bin Abi Ayash, who was known for inventing Ahadith.

Though the black stone is the starting point for tawaf, there was a period in Islamic history when it was missing from Ka’aba. But this did not come in the way of the tawaf. In the year 317 H /980 AD. The karamathians removed the black stone during their mad merry making. They carried it away with them to their territory in Al-ahsa (in the Arabian gulf). After keeping it there for over 20 years, they returned it back to Makka in the year339 H. In such an event the shariah maintains that the pilgrim shall perform his tawaf without the black stone. Instead of the black stone the pilgrim shall touch its place at the corner of the Ka’aba or point to its spot and continue with tawaf. Thus the total absence of the stone itself makes no difference in the validity of tawaf and pilgrimage.

Culled from Hajj and Umra magazine

SUCCESSES AND STILL COUNTING

By Abubakar Usman
elsardyx@yahoo.com

As a wise saying goes, “No matter how big your success is, there is always room for improvement…..and perfection, though seemingly remote, is the goal of the ambitious.
For all progressive minds within and outside the hajj industry, the hallmark of successes in the hajj business in Nigeria has been epitomized remarkably by the
national honors award scored within the sector earlier in the year.
There are some salient issues that need to be highlighted to buttress the real worth of the national honors award scored by a hajj practitioner within the industry-for excellence in the field.
The national honors’ is like a contest among diverse national sectors both the prominent and the less prominent and stemming from uneven chances and positions. Just as it is a contest among several thousands of notable performers around the nation. The tightness of the road leading to becoming an honoree of a nation makes the credentials for such attainment really worth some salt even without any mention.
Also, considering the lowly position of the hajj sector in the scheme of priorities of Nigeria’s political will, any contribution that was able to attract such an a glory to the way of hajj practice most be extraordinarily awful. .
This is what makes that award not just the pride of Mal. Abdullahi Muktar, the executive secretary of Kaduna state Muslim pilgrims welfare board but the pride of Kaduna. It is even more the pride of the Nigerian hajj sector.
But fundamentally and most importantly it is more the pride of the dedicated members of management and staff of the board who are the policy drivers and foot soldiers but the unsung heroes of the successes of the institution. The award simply shows our mutual productivity under the spirited stewardship of the executive secretary. We therefore share fully and directly in the glory just as he dedicated it.
Indeed, it is the contribution of the spirits of right leadership and followership that results in achievements unimagined. It is the prevalence of such a positive spirit in Kaduna state Muslim pilgrims welfare board that has resulted in Kaduna state been an undisputed role model in the hajj business Nigeria over. Is it not a dictum that “Kaduna initiates, innovates and experiments and others adopt? Is it not a thing of pride that other states come to us to under-study the way we operate with a view to improving their operational base just like Niger state did last year? Wise people say you never appreciate your true worth until others come calling or when changes set in. Our achievements for last year’s/hajj can be said to surpass all our ambitions. More grease to our elbows.
As we continue to sow the seeds for better hajj delivery and continue to count our successes, let us exalt with praise of Allah. Indeed he is the beneficent.

2007 elections: A do or die affair indeed

By Abubakar Usman Yusuf

elsardyx@yahoo.com

Expressions and remarks are normal reflections of mindsets which are further manifested by actions.

Some months leading to the 2007 elections, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo the president of Nigeria remarked that, “2007 election would be a do or die affair. A lot of commentators, critics and opposition forces took him up for such a callous statement. The criticism thus appears to center on the fact that such a statement was unbecoming of a leader. And also that it tends to indicate the possibility of

rigging the election at all cost.

Taking into cognizance the events surrounding the elections, one thing that the critics of Obasanjo’s remarks seem to have underestimated was the actual weight of such a remark.

Most people thought it was going to be rigging as usual or at most with slight modifications and aggressiveness. Some opposition parties were hence confident that whatever the president was up to, the masses could checkmate it especially by way of “ A kasa, a tsare a kuma raka” a Hausa dictum as propounded by General Muhammadu Buhari to mean mandate protection as adopted by the masses in kano in 2003, and Bauchi in 2007.

However, Buhari’s theory failed the test of 2007 election because we are dealing with a president who really appreciates the threats of mandate protection at a national scale. The discomfort of Mr. Obasanjo to the threat of mandate protection was indicated by the unprecedented well orchestrated media campaign sponsored by INEC to discourage mandate protection movement and portray it as an “illegitimate act”. By this campaign people were constantly reminded to cast their vote and leave the election venue immediately. As if 2007 is the beginning of mandate protection in Nigeria.

As an election observer in Kaduna, having waited from eight o’clock am to around 3’oclork pm without any sign of polling officials coming to the polling station or any other one around, and couple with the news I recieved over the BBC world’s English service radio, that the problem is a common one, I decided to take a ride around to other areas of the metropolis to see things for my self. As I go around confirming same, I was perplexed as to whether the elections have been shifted or else we are about to witness the incidences of 2003 by which certain states in which election did not take place came up with and announce election results.

The most astonishing part of my fact finding ride was when I came about a group of people recounting the problem of absence of electoral officials at polling units. In the cause of their conversations one of them, in reference to the unavailability of election materials said, “I did not know that they fear Buhari this much!” It was as if a pinch of inspiration has been injected into me.

I immediately remembered Obasanjos remarks that, the election was going to be a do or die one. I als recalled the unprecedented warlike magnitude of security beef up around the metropolis and some other factors. Together these mutually re-enforcing factors synchronized in my memory to assure me that we are indeed in for a do or die election.

More’ so the president couldn’t have made such a sarcastic remark for nothing.

But then, be as it may, a callous political statement, what could have been the motive for such an unguarded remark which has been followed by actions? What else could have led an out going president to go to such an extent in altering the mandate of over 140 million country men at gun point? Shouldn’t a septuagenarian lame duck president be working or thinking of what good legacies to bequeath to his nation? Why most the imposition of leadership go to the extent of do or die?

I ask these questions because I know that credibility is a feat that every one struggle to attain and maintain. The crave for credibility among humans is common. Even dictators, despots, robbers, mischief makers and even devils aspire to be credible regardless of there nefarious activities. This is why such persons conceal and disguise their activities. But in a situation where the president acts publicly to squander his own hard earned credibility without a hoot, and at a time when he needs it most calls for even more questions.

If we are to apply the African adage, “ whatever drives a lizard into fire most be hotter than the fire its self” in appraising Mr. presidents remarks and actions we would be left with no answer than the fact that, what is at stake is more disgracing than the remarks and actions of Mr. president.

In order to better appreciate what is at stake to warrant the president’s actions it is good to review his actions in decoding what actually is at stake.

The president started this game by aiming to be a life president which a lot of spectators have identified but was only confirmed on the occasion of the botched 3rd term brouhaha which attempted to use every available means especially the criminal means of altering constitutional review draft resolutions but to no avail. After the failure of the third term agenda, Mr. president drew the battle line to deal with all the forces that fought his botched agenda. He proceeded to intimidate the presidential aspirants in his party by way of EFCC and further stage managed the PDP primaries to pave way for his anointed candidate, umaru musa ‘Yar’Adua. After pacifying his party for his anointed ‘Yar’Adua, he crossed over to the formidable opposition party the ANPP and again using the EFCC he succeeded in getting two governors of the party to cross carpet to his party. Another two had to forsake the party and when the heat became more some of these governors moved to exile in disguise. As if this is not enough the president went further to use his INEC chattel to illegally disqualify some other presidential candidates found to be threats and easy rides. After all he bore his mind to Nigerians that the election was going to be a do or die affair. He realized this threat by using INEC and state security apparatuses to coerce, intimidate and frustrate the will and resilience of Nigeria for change. A do or die affair indeed.

To discern what is at stake by deductive reasoning it can be said that the president’s action cannot be said to have arose out of party fanatism as he would have allowed a free and fair party primaries and work for the party at general elections. The president cannot also be said to be acting in gratitude since he has bite the fingers that fed him. IBB in 1999 and Atiku in 2003. He is not also doing it for the fun of it as he is injuring himself in the process. If we go on and on we would be left with naught but question what is skeleton is in the president’s cupboard? All the shoddy and shadowy deals of the regime as embedded in the so called economic reforms of the regime, the unprecedented increase in wealth in the light of verifiable expenditure, disposal of Abacha loot, fraudulent privatization and sales of public utilities and assets etc. It is noteworthy that the pivot of the economic reforms (Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala) had to be disgraced out of office for not compromising. We can also remember the publicisation of the monthly earnings of Ota farm to around $250,000 (N30, 000,000) perhaps to justify and neutralize any possible reference in the future. Still fresh in our minds is the botched Transcorp deal in which the president assumed a position in a private company and with a paid up stake that could not be justified by the presidents own purse. He lied to the nation that it was a loan he got from a bank. He was however muted when asked about the collateral security he used to obtain the loan.

As a saying goes, there is a lot more to that which meets an eye. So also is it that, a lot is at stake than that which meets our eyes as to warrant a do or die elections. However, another saying goes, sun is going to shine on everything you do. The late Dele Giwa also once said, “No evil shall go unpunished…, if not now then certainly later, if not by man then God. Lo! Those who connived and rob over 140 million people of there mandate cannot be said to fear God or whatever happens in the hereafter no matter how they profess or claim to be religious.

The problem of Nigeria has always been that of efficient and selfless leadership. Leadership ineptitude has been the bane of all other problems surrounding the country. Nothing that works excellently well in other countries seem to work even at the lowest tolerable limits in Nigeria. And the people have to remain helpless because the change of leadership baton is in their hands only in principles. But in practice the baton is exchanged from one pre-anointed and favored person to the other at all cost. Worse still is the fact that there is no end in sight.

Nothing good should be expected from a government of stolen mandate or is it a robbed mandate? This is because such an illegitimate government like a military rule derives its mandate from greed and selfishness and would thus remain to serve such a cause. The cause of the people is just by the way. A similitude can be drawn from president Obasanjo himself. Been a person who has never been in power by the will of the people, virtually all his policies are anti people. The last illustration is in the 2007 elections. Another good example of stolen mandate is that of President Bush’s unpopular policies in the United States. Further more, a person whose motive it is to actually work genuinely for the betterment of his people most be a principled person who wouldn’t have succumbed to lead in such a completely dubious arrangement.

Any nation that cannot boast of an inch of progress in organizing the minimum most tolerable limits of an acceptable elections at 47 years of age and is in reverse retrogressing from bad to worse is the most unserious nation on earth. Its future is bleak while it treads towards the quintessential abyss.

As a youth growing in a like nation, my feeling is that of disappointment and disenchantment with the scheme of things which cannot be changed in my country because our votes do not matter. No one can get anything in Nigeria without influence, there is no level playing ground, competence and handwork are of no value etc. what manner of a nation? Should the only option left be to take refuge in other countries? If so what class of a refugee could we constitute? Economic immigrants? Political immigrants? Or may be a new form of refugee status for Nigerians- s“frustrated immigrants?! (Sic).

We are in a real dilemma, God forbid. May God see us through.

Abubakar Usman is of No 25 gwamna \

Road,po Box 2059 Kaduna.

Email: elsardyx@yahoo.com

Perfecting the Art of Hajj Management the Kaduna Way

By Abubakar Usman

elsardyx@yahoo.com

Publish in 2007

Cueing from the issues raised by our greatly respected erudite scholar and elder malam Mohammed Haruna on his Daily Trust Wednesday column of January 30th 2008- and in the light of the general atmosphere of concern on the pereniality of hajj problems in Nigeria, this piece is a corroboration meant to open-up some intricacies bedevilling hajj in Nigeria and to present Kaduna state hajj operations as a model for the success of hajj in Nigeria.

The immediate past hajj 2006 is around the 1,420th hajj since the pilot hajj as exemplified by the noble prophet P.B.U.H. (see Muslim). Since then, the management of hajj affairs remains a daunting task whether at individual or collective (official) quarters. The entire expedition has never been a straight jacket approach.

Today regardless of all the socio- economic and technological advancements hajj management remains not without the ever evolving and increasing problems. And each nation of the world has its own fair share of challenges. Even the host nation (Saudi Arabia) with its dedicated ministry for hajj, hajj research institute, institute for hajj studies etc maintains a barrage of insatiable problems of hajj including logistics. This is attributable to the dynamism of complex factors as they relate to hajj.

The mutual interplay of dynamism, complexities and intricacies can be seen for instance in the nature of the numerity of the stakeholders involve in the hajj business. Hajj is like a melting pot of local and international diversities both human and institutional. In the hajj business are governments, peoples, hajj operators, hajj services providers, several sects and mentalities to mention but naught. Clearly, this peculiar nature of complexity involved in hajj management has graduated it from a mere art into a professional-cum-scientific faculty of activity.

Admittedly the nature of problems of hajj in Nigeria is unacceptable and it falls below the least tolerable limits of performance. The disposition of Nigeria as an underdeveloped nation is that of a corrupt and inefficient entity in virtually all of its respects. This is the most fundamental factor afflicting hajj in Nigeria. Year in year out, the problem remains from one bad tale to another. Just like an annual harvest of woes. This is reminiscence of president Obasanjos famous rebuke of the way hajj is run in Nigeria- when at a point in the height of failures of hajj (during his mantleship) he expressed his disappointment on how an affair that is solely run and managed by the Muslims wholeheartedly for themselves would continue to fail the way it does.

It was in the resolve to provide a permanent solution to the problems of hajj in Nigeria that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) was established. The function of which is broader and coodinatory but rather a smaller schedule of contractual and foreign relations nature.

Ironically the most pronounced problems that becloud the hitch full hajj history of Nigeria have more to do with NAHCON despite its relatively smaller schedule in hajj management in Nigeria compared with the state pilgrims welfare boards. These Problems, bothering on airlifting seem to take centre stage.

There are more problems than those that meet an eye. But each problem is peculiar to each individual state hajj operator and therefore less pronounced.

The comparative edge Kaduna state’s hajj operations have over other states is quite remarkable especially in this ending decade. It’s thus a model for other states and even NAHCON itself. When it comes to hajj as a perfecting art, the state cannot be said to be second to any other state. And this is a very popular note indeed. Most of the laudable innovations in the area of hajj operations in the recent history of hajj are initiated in Kaduna. And other state if at all, copy from it.

Kaduna state pilgrims office in Makka is the destination of most Nigerian pilgrims who get lost. The reason is the rapid response to pilgrims’ welfare cases which is extended to other Nigerian non- Kaduna pilgrims. The organisation, has received numerous awards due to its excellent practices in hajj. With most of it coming from the Establishment for African Non Arab Pilgrims.

Feats like these would not be without deliberate efforts for accomplishments. Dedicated leadership and management -it is that set good objectives and work towards it and then achieve it. The board is steered by an amiable revolutionary- full of youthful spirit and vibrancy. Apparently driven by sincere zeal for performance, the accomplishments of the organization within the spate of the ending decade are fresh and still counting.

Hajj operation to Kaduna Muslim pilgrims welfare board is an all year round business with every day as part of the line-ups of activity. Each hajj year commences by lunching of the years hajj savings scheme. This is a beneficial arrangement which allows pilgrims to be making installmental hajj savings with the organization ahead of the forth coming hajj season. The savings scheme goes concurrently with other fruitful programs like aptitude screening exercises aimed at identifying inept pilgrims, medically deficient pilgrims among others, practical/iconic trainings and sensitization workshops.

The most common problem of hajj is the flight arrangement to and from the holy land. As an issue beyond the control of the states there is nothing anyone can do but wait for the planes to come. But even then Kaduna state pilgrims welfare board tries to manage the situation. No pilgrim is allowed to encamp unless there is a confirmation of flight. This is meant to avoid tense situations, whilst the management strives as far as possible to obtain the best bargain out of any such issue beyond its bounds.

The arrangement for all pilgrim embarkations is done in a way that a contingent of the officials advance to the location to prepare grounds for the pilgrims and others follow the pilgrims so that all pre- and post transit issues are attended to. The officials who most be in official uniforms are divided into different functional committees to cater for all identified areas of activities. The committees are security committee, the pilgrim dispatch committees, advance parties, housing, sanitation, female care, rituals, guides, Hadaya committees, preachers, medical etc.

The organisation exploits the use of modern technological developments like computer based technologies for data processing and relevant areas like pilgrim flight manifest in which bar codes software programs are used to scan implanted codes on the pilgrim passports for a very fast and convenient preparations of manifests, voice over service which networks functional operations and commands for rapid and emergency responses.

Regular information bulletins are dispatched to pilgrim houses intimating them on the organizations operational plans, hazards and adverse weather warnings and safety guidelines. News from Nigerian dailies are downloaded and the hard copies are kept in the makka office for the use of pilgrims. Female residences are secured to curb immoralities. In order to promote good conduct among pilgrims a stylized system of rewards and punishment is in use. Favouritism and preferential treatments are minimised and every act of the pilgrimage seem under control.

Usman, a commentator/specialist on Hajj affairs

Resides in no 25 Gwamna road, P.o Box 2059

Kaduna.

HAJJ 2008 AND THE LAUREL FOR ALL SEASONS

Published in 2008

By Abubakar Usman

elsardyx@yahoo.com

“We cannot all be trees and we cannot all be shrubs but the important thing in life is that if you are a tree, be the best of the trees and if you are a shrub, be the best of the shrubs” … Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe

It was with the above statement in mind that Late Alhaji Abdulrahamman Okene drew the conclusion to his book “The Ethos of progress for Nigeria”. In the conclusion, he distinguished between three groups of people in every human society. The first group are those who do not mind what happens. The second group are those who talk about what happens, and the last group are those who
make things happen.

In relating this classification to the Nigerian situation, Late Okene stressed that, unfortunately there care more of the first group of people than the rest of the groups essentially due to the prevalence of moral and spiritual poverty. The second class of people are less in number than the first group but more than the third group, the group discusses unfolding events and people involved in the scenarios. Though they are not in the position to change anything, they contribute to building up of national momentum and creation of awareness, he wrote.

The last group are those who make things happen. He opined that, any society where this group forms up to a quarter of its citizenry is bound to be prosperous.

In order to be in the third group we do not need not be engineers, doctors, lawyers, politicians or journalist. Late Okene further recalled what he once told his students on the occasion of a visit to his school by the late premier of the northern region. “I did not recognize my job (teaching) as a menial job. Rather the status of a job was determined by the spirit and output of the man doing the job ….that if the premier did his job perfunctorily, his position would be meaningless to the people and his job would consequently become menial to the citizens. If on the other hand a cleaner or a Clerk did this job with dedication to achieve results, his job would become more important to the community than that of the premier. The premier extolled his exhortations, he wrote.

It is with the above anecdote in mind that this piece seeks to extol and espouse on the first ever national recognition and honor on remarkable achievements in the hajj sector of Nigeria at its near silver jubilee of existence and since 1953 when Late Abubakar Imam first tabled a motion on the welfare of Nigerian pilgrims and in 1954 when all the recommendations were fully implemented and as well since 1964 when the National Honors Act No 5 was enacted.

Ordinarily it would appear bizarre for any meaningful award, more so the cherished national honors to go to the hajj sector for obvious reasons. One reason been the checkered history of hajj business and the continual deterioration of hajj management in Nigeria. Another reason is the real status of hajj in the scheme of Nigeria’s polity and the sense of ordering of our national priorities. Specifically the stance of the award recipient– a state level hajj manager overshadowed by the federal (NAHCON)

However in such rare situations where the wise words of Late Dr Azikiwe comes to play, in a situation where quintessential tree or shrub plays best and above expectations, we are left with naught but extraordinary developments. Extraordinary situations are record breaking developments as against donkey years of bad records and poor yields. It is extra-ordinary performances that transform disadvantages and poor levels of embarkations to for better accomplishments. In a nutshell this is the story of the National award - Member order of the Niger (MON) to handed to Mallam Abdullahi Mukhtar Mohammed, the Executive Secretary Kaduna State Muslin Pilgrims Welfare Board. An award which invariably is a credit to Kaduna states’ operations as a whole and just as he himself has dedicated it.

It was Dr Usman Bugaje who best captures the story of hajj in Nigeria as it has been before. In 1999 he wrote, “After 1966, hajj like any other institution lost that unique leadership, concern and selflessness of the Sardauna and started to go down the drain. The private agents started to have a field day taking pilgrims money as they pleased and doing all manners of fraud and prompting cries for change”. He proceeded to narrate how rapidly the volume of pilgrims increased vis-à-vis fraud and inefficiency which resulted in the abolishment of the private agents and the creation of Nigeria Pilgrims Board with its enabling powers. The board failed before long due to bureaucracy, inefficiency, political interference, corruption, political patronage, wastage, increasing number of pilgrims, nepotism stark corruption and selfishness.

At a point he alluded, hajj operations was like between the devil and the deep blue sea or like the sand dunes of the desert. He singled out 1996 as the worst and most humiliating in history. Blame worthy according to his text includes the officials from top down, ullema and the press. He finally suggested that, “what does the magic is the will to act, firmness and consistency.

And truly what actually did the magic and continually sustains it for us in Kaduna state within the span of this ending decade is unmistakably the combination of sincere will to act, firmness and consistency of actions among other virtues which together combined to checkmate the menace of vested and entrenched interest, corruption and sabotage. These problems put together constitute the shackles and clogs on the wheels of progress along the hajj path. Lo! The problems of hajj in Nigeria have never been far away from the same issues which bedevil the country itself.

It is the same principles that put to check the problem of the defunct hajj agents who after their disbandment in 1975 formed themselves around the pilgrim boards and continued to rip unsuspecting intending pilgrims of their money.

Other commendable developments in Kaduna state include the strengthening of the payment system, customized savings scheme system, restructured facilities and infrastructures, detailing of operations into functional committees, harnessing of modern technological developments in operations, efficient feedback mechanism for the benefit of the management, private public collaborations, decentralized health care delivery for pilgrims, effective liaison with service providers like airliners etc

Perhaps, these are some of the developments that have been observed by the Amirul Hajj Rt. Hon. Speaker Oledimeji Bankole when he undertook the tour of hajj establishments in the country to which he commended Kaduna state as second to non. He couldn’t have had any other reason to blow Kaduna’s trumpet than the realities on ground. Also the result of the Amirul Hajj teams’ comparative assessment of the entire operations and performances of pilgrims welfare boards around the country in 2008 places Kaduna on top of all.

It is a little wonder, the previously less attractive position of an Executive secretary Muslim pilgrims board Kaduna is recently drawing a lot of jostling and hustling around as we constantly see in the press. The seat most has gained a facelift and the power to appetize. So also is working in the organization.

Been the first real award of its kind in the hajj business as low priority a sector as it seem, in an era of despair -full of hues and cries and against all olds, it most be the laurel for all seasons, before and after it.

Lest I forget to condemn the unwholesome behavior of a reporter who despite his full knowledge decided to give his profession a bad name by reporting that 2000 pilgrims were stranded at jeddah airport instead of just 38 pilgrims delayed for just 2 days due to the insignificance of there number.

Usman is a member Writers Theater,

No 25 Gwamna Road, P.O Box 2059,
Kaduna.