Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
August 3, 2017.
The Borno State Government has yesterday commenced the inoculations of 1, 700 intending pilgrims against yellow fever and other diseases, before being airlifted to Saudi Arabia perform this year’s hajj exercise.
The inoculations exercise, according to the Executive Secretary of Borno State Pilgrims Welfare Board (BPWB), Alhaji Ajagana Bukar, was to prevent being accused by Saudi authorities of allowing unimmunized
pilgrims from Nigeria; to perform hajj.
His words: “The inoculations exercise; has become inevitable to avoid
Saudi authorities’ incessant accusations and allegations against pilgrims officials from this country. Most of the pilgrims from
Nigeria do not go through the necessary immunization exercise.
“The yellow cards, being issued; are fraudulently presented to the Saudi officials, indicating that intending pilgrims from Nigeria; were inoculated for the hajj exercise.”
He said that the airlift of pilgrims, which commences on Thursday, August 10, 2017, is to be secured at the hajj camp, including the
inoculation centre and airport by troops of 7 Division, Nigerian Army.
“Our intending pilgrims are to be property secured in the hajj camp
and the Maiduguri airport, before being airlifted for the hajj exercise, slated for next Thursday,” assured Bukar.
He expressed gratitude to officers and men of 7 Division of Nigerian Army, for deploying a battalion of troops to the Borno pilgrims’ camp
to secure the pilgrims from attacks by Boko Haram militants.
While inspecting the inoculation exercise, he assured that every intending pilgrim from the state would be inoculated, before takeoff
to Saudi Arabia.
His words: “The ongoing inoculation exercise; is to avoid the Saudi Authorities’ incessant accusations that Nigerian pilgrims do not go
through this necessary health exercise. The yellow cards of intending pilgrims are fraudulently presented to the Saudi officials,
indicationg that they have been inoculated.
“We are taking the inoculation exercise very seriously this year, because the Saudi officials have always accused their Nigerian counterparts of just filling the Yellow Cards for the intending pilgrims without inoculating them.
“We want to ensure that the exercise actually takes place this year without hitches, and no intending pilgrim escapes it or is mistakenly
left out.”
The exercise is simultaneously taking place in Northern and Southern Borno state comprising Biu, Bayo, Shani, Hawul and Kwaya-Kusar Local
Government Areas. While their counterparts; from the remaining 22
council areas are being inoculated in Maiduguri.
