Officials charged with hajj in Cameroon are working for a hitch free pilgrimage. Three thousand one hundred and sixty five pilgrims from Cameroon would do the 2023, hajj. Atanga Nji Paul, Chairman of the country’s hajj Commission, revealed the figure while chairing the 33rd ordinary session of the national hajj Commission. He also said the pilgrims shall be accompanied by one thousand, eight hundred and fifty supervisors. Among members of the National Hajj Commission at the meeting were His Excellency Iya Tijjani, Ambassador of Cameroon to Saudi Arabia, Mohamadou Moustapha Deputy Secretary General at Cameroon Presidency, members of the political affairs division at the Ministry of Territorial Administration, amongst other stakeholders.
Speaking on modalities to ensure a successful pilgrimage, the minister said “Basically, all the commissions have presented their reports of the hajj of 2022. We have certain things that have to be corrected and we have asked all the commissions to work with all the stakeholders so that pilgrims should travel. We would have departures from Garoua, from Douala and from Yaounde as usual and we would be transporting about three thousand one hundred and sixty five pilgrims. This year president Paul Biya gave a grant of one billion CFA francs which was distributed to all those who are traveling so basically for most of the time we have tried as much as possible to do an evaluation and we can see that things are moving well even though we still have to correct certain issues. The first thing is that the pilgrims have to go on time and i think that all the group leaders can testify that we don’t have problems of pilgrims who are abandoned in airports as it used to be the case. You go to the airport you stay for two, three four days without having a plane, those things cannot happen again. Secondly after the hajj they must come back home. Most of the times when the planes are not available or the flights, you stay again in Mecca for three weeks so all those things have been corrected. I think that as of now, so far so good we are on the right part and the pilgrimage would start as scheduled and we have a working program which would be respected” Cameroon’s Chair of of the Hajj Commission and Minister of Territorial Administration said with regards to 2023 pilgrimage.
Meantime committees for supervision and pilgrim guides are charged with sensitizing pilgrims on travel rules to Saudi Arabia. They are to see that pilgrims stay free from carrying harmful objects, trade items and illegal drugs. They are to tell pilgrims to stick to the intrinsic motive of the pilgrimage.
Hamidou Mouhsmadou is one of the pilgrim guides who expressed gratitude for government support. “We are very happy and we appreciate all the efforts made the head of state. To give us one billion francs is too much so we are currently preparing ourselves to travel safely. The money would help us to eat dinner and accommodation. We can do a lot of things with the money. This gives a good image of Cameroon”
Speaking about the role of supervision, he said “As supervisors we help pilgrims to do passports, to perform all the rules of hajj and to change their money”
In the coming week, Mr Atanga Nji would make an official pronouncement before pilgrims depart for hajj.
By Mildred Ndum Wung Kum
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