The FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello has advised FCT intending Muslim Pilgrims to the 2016 pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia to pray for Nigeria to enable the country overcome its present challenges.
He gave this advice Wednesday at the ceremony marking the departure of the first batch of 2016 FCT intending pilgrims at the Permanent Hajj Camp, Bassan Jiwa, Abuja.
Bello urged the intending pilgrims to remember that Nigeria is passing through some challenges, which requires their patriotic prayers, as nation building is a collective stride from everyone; stressing that the importance of prayers cannot be overemphasized.
The Minister also urged the intending pilgrims to be good ambassadors of the Federal Capital Territory and the country at large.
He further advised them to also pray for the country’s leadership as well as for the peaceful co-existence of “our dear Nation as one entity”.
The Minister also called on the FCT Hajj Officials to consider their assignment as a trust from Allah and therefore enjoined them to discharge their duties diligently by assisting the intending pilgrims to attain an acceptable Hajj as ordained by Allah.
“I want you to have at the back of your mind that, going to Saudi Arabia is primarily to serve the pilgrims not for personal gains,” Malam Bello warned.
The Minister continued, “As such the Administration would not tolerate any lackadaisical attitude or act of indiscipline from any official in handling pilgrims’ affairs”.
Welcoming the Minister to the brief ceremony, the Director of FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Malam Bashir Muhammad on behalf of the pilgrims appreciated the Minister’s kind gesture for the adequate logistics generously provided by the FCT Administration for their comfort.
While noting that 2,975 intending Muslim pilgrims from the FCT are expected to perform this years’ pilgrimage, he assured that adequate arrangements have been made in Makkah and Madinah for all the intending pilgrims to ensure a smooth Hajj exercise.
