Adamawa to refund intending pilgrims next month

The Adamawa Pilgrims’ Board has said it would commence refund of hajj deposits to intending pilgrims who requested for it in the month of August.

The Permanent Secretary and Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Malam Salihu Abubakar, during an interactive session with journalists announced that the Board had fixed August 10 for the commencement of refund of deposits to 2020 hajj pilgrims who requested for it.

He said the Board took the decision after consultations with key stakeholders, including those who had made deposits for the exercise.

“All those who wish to seek a refund should write to the Executive Secretary through their local government schedule officers”, adding that those who would want to roll their deposits until 2021 pilgrimage, could do so, and assured that their deposits were safe with the Board.

The board maintained that those who have started payment but are yet to make full payment of the N1.459 million fare before the cancellation, can complete it if they wished to secure their seats for next year’s exercise.

Meanwhile the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made it mandatory on pilgrims to put on a mask during the holy exercise, while workers would ensure no overcrowding or gatherings take place during the pilgrimage.

The kingdom has drastically curtailed the pilgrimage amid the coronavirus pandemic, saying that only the few thousands who reside in the country could perform the hajj, scheduled for July ending.

Saudi Arabia’s Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SaudiCDC) released a list of instructions for pilgrims and workers to follow.

According to the list, space of one-and-a-half metres between each pilgrim must be observed during prayers or other rituals, at restaurants or inside tents.

People will not be allowed to touch the Kaaba, the cube-shaped, black-clad at Makkah’s Grand Mosque.

Pilgrims usually walk around the Kaaba several times during the hajj.
Pilgrims are banned from sharing personal items such as clothes, phones and towels.

Buses transporting pilgrims from one holy site to another must be occupied at 50-per-cent capacity, as each pilgrim will be assigned the same seat throughout the Hajj.

Also, at restaurants, only pre-packaged meals would be available as well as single-use bottles filled with water from the holy Zamzam well.