The special adviser on Islamic matters to the Lagos governor, Abdullahi Jebe, has commended President Bola Tinubu for setting a high standard and refining the hajj operations.

Mr Jebe gave the commendation in an interview on Wednesday in Mecca. He also commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for sustaining the high standard, and for his support to pilgrims from the state over the years.

”There is no way we want to talk of hajj without talking of Mr President because he was the one who refined hajj in Lagos during his time as governor. The Lagos State Muslim Welfare Board was created in 1975 but they were bringing their pilgrims through agents untill 1999 when Tinubu came on board.

”He directed that pilgrims should come through their various local government councils instead, and he introduced ulamas to enlighten the pilgrims during the hajj exercise,” Mr Jebe said.

Mr Jebe said that the president also started the culture of procuring rams for all Lagos pilgrims, while providing enough food for them on the day of Arafat. According to him, Mr Tinubu’s successors, including Mr Sanwo-Olu, have sustained the momentum.

“Sanw-Olu has gone further by upgrading our tent from D where Nigerian pilgrims stay to B plus, which has all the necessary comfort. If you pay money, the governor will now put another package to it to make it robust and, make the hajj convenient and comfortable for the pilgrims,” Mr Jebe explained.

He also commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria for sustaining a robust working relationship with the states’ pilgrims boards.

“The synergy with NAHCON has been good and very, very cordial, because we do whatever they want us to do. Whenever they give an instruction, we follow it. NAHCON is the arrowhead of hajj in Nigeria, because no state is recognised. All the states have to come through NAHCON,” he said.

(NAN)