Connect with us

News

New Hajj season: Saudi Arabia prepares for record numbers of pilgrims

Published

on

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Saudi Arabia is ramping up preparations to receive over 2 million Muslim pilgrims expected to arrive later this month for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

Government and private sector agencies are collaborating to implement operational plans to ensure that the faithful will perform Hajj rites with ease and comfort in and around the holy city of Mecca

Competent agencies anticipate record numbers of pilgrims this year following the participation of around 30 million Muslims from inside and outside the kingdom in Umrah, the minor pilgrimage, at the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site, in Mecca during the past Ramadan, which ended on April 9, 2024.

Advertisement

As many as 33 million Muslims offered prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second holiest place, in Medina during Ramadan. The same month also saw the arrival of 9 million passengers at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport in Medina. Many pilgrims usually visit Medina before or after Hajj.

This year, 3,500 staffers at the Saudi Ministry of Hajj are tasked with caring for pilgrims who arrive in and depart from Medina, where a large number of Islamic historic sites have been renovated and provided with tour guides to receive visitors.

Some 1.8 million Muslims from around the world performed Hajj last year, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels in terms of numbers. Saudi Arabia has embarked on early preparations for this year’s Hajj scheduled next month under a new strategy for overseas pilgrims.

Accordingly, no specific places would be allotted anymore for countries. Instead, places for different countries are allocated depending on the time of finalising contracts. The new mechanism aims at facilitating preparations for Hajj, an obligatory Islamic duty that must be carried out at least once in a lifetime by Muslims who can afford it physically and financially.

Advertisement

Saudi Arabia has cautioned Muslims planning to perform Hajj about fake campaigns and websites and defined associated legal channels.

The Ministry of Hajj said reliance on official channels guarantees access to pilgrimage and safeguards pilgrims’ rights during the journey. The ministry stressed that all pilgrims must obtain a Hajj permit.

The announcement followed a recent statement by the Council of Senior Scholars, Saudi Arabia’s highest Islamic body, who pointed out that performing Hajj without an official permit is deemed sinful.

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/themes/zox-news/comments.php on line 49

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

PFIPC scandal: ‘I borrowed N400 million to secure the appointment’ – Adeyemi Adeniyi

Published

on

By

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

The self-acclaimed Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, Adeyemi Adeniyi, says he borrowed the N400 million to secured the job at the presidency.

Adeniyi made this revelation on Monday during zoom interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television.

He said his creditors have reported him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

He described the way some actors in government taking the matter as ‘unfortunate and embarrassing’, asking how only him could manoeuvre the entire Federal Government system.

Advertisement

“I borrowed this money, the N400 million, to pay for this appointment. In fact, those that I borrowed the money from have reported me to the EFCC to refund it,” he said.

When asked to react to the report that there is a United States lobbying firm helping him to seek an asylum, Adeniyi said, “I read it the way you read it.”

Continue Reading

News

May 18 primaries has come to a close, I appeal to all my people to support all APC candidates -Ize-Iyamu

Published

on

By

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has beckoned on all his loyalists to support All Progressives Congress APC candidates after the party formally endorsed all Edo State candidates.

This was contained in a statement he personally signed encouraging his loyalists in Edo South to throw their weights behind all APC candidates.

Hear him:

“Following wide-ranging consultations with our leaders, party members, supporters, women, youths, and well-wishers across Edo South, Nigeria, and the diaspora, I address you today(Monday ) with profound gratitude, humility, and an unwavering commitment to the unity and progress of our great party.

Advertisement

“The APC Edo South Senatorial Primary held on May 18, 2026 has come to a close. Our party has completed its democratic process, and a candidate has emerged. I accept the decision of our party in good faith and appeal to all our members, followers and friends to do same.

“The All Progressives Congress is greater than any individual ambition. It is a platform built on service, sacrifice, discipline, and our shared commitment to a better future for our people. Political contests may test our preferences, but they must never diminish our common purpose.

To every supporter, coordinator, volunteer, grassroots mobiliser, and everyone who stood with us throughout this journey, I offer my heartfelt appreciation. Your loyalty, sacrifices, encouragement, and prayers have been a constant source of strength. I remain deeply grateful for your confidence and steadfast support.

I wish to specially thank our brothers and sisters in the diaspora across party lines for the overwhelming support they gave my senatorial bid and assure them of my continous commitment to the development and progress of our district. I urge every one of you to remain peaceful, reject division, and continue to uphold the values that have always defined our people.

Advertisement

Now is the time to reconcile, close ranks, and focus on the greater task before us. Our collective responsibility to serve the people of Edo South is far greater than any individual aspiration. As we move forward, I remain committed to working with our leaders, stakeholders, and party faithfuls to strengthen the APC, secure victory in the general election, and advance the development and well-being of Edo South Senatorial District.

The contest is behind us. The future is before us. Let us move forward with one resolve, and one commitment- to build a stronger APC and a more prosperous Edo South.

Thank you for your prayers, your loyalty, and your unwavering support throughout this journey.
History will not remember the contest we fought; it will remember the future we built together. Let us unite. Let us serve. Let us win for the APC, for Edo South and for the people of Edo State.

God bless the All Progressives Congress. God bless Edo South Senatorial District. God bless Edo State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Oba gha to kpere, ise

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Senate investigates N34tn Duty Waivers, Threatens Sanctions for Defaulting Agencies

Published

on

By

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

The Senate Committee on Finance has opened a fresh scrutiny of the Federal Government’s import duty waiver regime after the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) disclosed that the value of Import Duty Exemption Certificates (IDECs) issued since March 2020 rose to about ₦34 trillion by 2025.

The committee also threatened sanctions against the heads of several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, for failing to appear before its investigative hearing on revenue remittances.

Appearing before the committee on Monday, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the agency’s revenue performance had been significantly influenced by government fiscal policies, particularly import duty exemptions granted to strategic sectors.

He explained that about 60 per cent of the ₦34 trillion worth of duty waivers covered military hardware imported to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, while the remaining exemptions applied to imports of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, medical equipment, industrial machinery, manufacturing inputs and food items under government intervention programmes.

Advertisement

Adeniyi maintained that duty waivers should not be assessed solely on the basis of revenue forgone, arguing that they were intended to promote broader economic and social objectives, including industrial growth, improved healthcare delivery and national security.

He, however, recommended stronger monitoring mechanisms to ensure beneficiaries of the incentives deliver the expected outcomes through increased production, lower prices and wider economic benefits.

The Customs boss also told lawmakers that the Service had generated about ₦4.5 trillion as of June 30, 2026, against an annual revenue target of ₦11.04 trillion.

However, the hearing exposed disagreements over Customs’ financial obligations after the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) alleged that the agency had an outstanding operating surplus liability of about ₦8.9 billion based on its 2019 audited accounts.

Advertisement

Customs officials rejected the claim, insisting that the figures required reconciliation.

The committee also turned its attention to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) after the Fiscal Responsibility Commission alleged that the agency had failed to remit about ₦13.9 billion in operating surplus between 2023 and 2025.

Responding, the Registrar-General of the CAC, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, acknowledged the outstanding liability but said the Commission had commenced gradual settlement of the amount.

To establish the actual figure, Chairman of the committee, Senator Sani Musa, directed the CAC, the Fiscal Responsibility Commission and the committee’s secretariat to reconcile their records and submit a comprehensive report within two weeks.

Advertisement

The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of several invited agencies from the investigative hearing.

Senator Musa warned that the heads of the NCAA, SMEDAN, ITF, FMC Jabi and other defaulting agencies must appear at the next sitting or face sanctions under the Senate Standing Rules.

He stressed that agencies responsible for managing public resources have a constitutional obligation to account for revenues generated on behalf of the Federal Government and comply with legislative oversight.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Naija Blitz News