LAGOS,
December 18, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The first batch of 65,000
Nigerian pilgrims left Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, on
Saturday, December 17, for Saudi Arabia to perform hajj, praying there
would be no repeat of mishaps and airport delays of previous journeys.
"We
spare no effort to make the spiritual journey easier for the pilgrims
and avoid past mistakes," Abu Bakr Guando, the head of the
government’s hajj committee, told reporters.
He
said the government has adopted a flexible policy in organizing this
hajj.
"The
federal government has authorized state governments to fully organize
hajj, which includes contracting transport companies, airliners and
hotels," he elaborated.
Guando
said the state governments have contracted three reputable tour
operators to fly the pilgrims out of 27 states to the holy lands.
"The
planes will take off from ten airports, which are gearing up to
receive the faithful," he added.
Hajj
consists of several ceremonies, meant to symbolize the essential
concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of
Prophet Abraham and his family.
Every
able-bodied adult Muslim who can financially afford the trip must
perform hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, once in their
lifetime.
Saudi
Cooperation
The
official said Nigerian and Saudi authorities are working in tandem to
meet the needs of the Nigerian pilgrims and get a well-organized
journey.
The
government pays more than 25 percent of the cost of pilgrimage every
year, mainly allocated to flight tickets, residence in Saudi Arabia
and luggage allowances.
It
further provides free-of-charge pilgrimage for thousands of Nigerians.
The
government has recently backtracked on a decision to scrap the
pilgrimage subsidy, for both Muslims and Christians, after scathing
criticism from the country’s top scholars.
Nigeria’s
recent census shows that Muslims make up 55 percent of the country’s
133 million people, Christians 40 percent and animists five percent.
However,
other estimates indicated that Muslims make up some 65 percent of the
country's population.
Twelve
of Nigeria’s 36 states have gradually applied Shari`ah since the
return of democracy to the country in 1999.
