ZUL-QA’ADAH 18 1430 A.H.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER . 6 2009.
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Nigerians daily missing in Saudi -Isa
From MUH'D HAMISU ABDULLAHI, MadinaNigerian pilgrims are daily reported missing in Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Musa Isa, commissioner representing North-Central States in the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, said in Madina Wednesday.
Alhaji Isa, who is the head of Nigerian Hajj Mission in Madina linked the problem to a number of reasons.
He told journalists that they have identified four major reasons to be responsible for the rampant cases of missing of pilgrims in Madina.
He gave the reasons as change of environment, illiteracy or lack of education where the pilgrims could not even read their cards as well as communication gap or language barrier.
The other reason, he gave, was that the pilgrims have refused or failed to apply what they were taught while in Nigeria.
He, however, expressed delight over the efforts of the Saudi authorities of establishing an office mainly to take care of the relocation of missing pilgrims back to their various accommodations.
Alhaji Isa also reiterated that those pilgrims who are always in possession of their ID cards are easily being identified.
According to him, this plan between Saudi and Nigerian governments is working effectively in terms of the relocation efforts of the missing pilgrims.
As at Wednesday, he revealed, over 49,000 pil
grims had arrived Madina, stressing that out of this number, only about 10 to 15 per cent are literate, a situation which aggravates the daily missing of the pilgrims.
