Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has bid farewell to the Gombe State contingents departing for the 2024 Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
During the farewell address on Friday, he charged the intending pilgrims to use their spiritual journey to pray for the state and the country to overcome the current socio-economic challenges.
The governor urged the pilgrims to intensify prayers for Allah’s intervention, specifically for a bumper harvest to overcome the high prices of foodstuffs in the markets. He also admonished them to be good ambassadors of their state and country while in the Holy Land, avoiding any actions that may nullify their spiritual exercise or damage their personal or state’s reputation.
Governor Inuwa reassured the pilgrims of his administration’s commitment to ensuring a seamless Hajj experience, promising that no one would be left behind and all pilgrims would be airlifted on time. He also charged Hajj officials to discharge their duties with sincerity, diligence, and patriotism.
The Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Sa’adu Hassan, expressed appreciation to the governor for his support, including taking responsibility for animal sacrifices, providing free food on Arafat Day, and approving 200 Riyals for each pilgrim as a Sallah gift.
The Emir of Dukku, His Royal Highness, Haruna Abdulkadir Rasheed, applauded Governor Inuwa for his support of Hajj operations and offering special interventions that make the operation easier for Gombe pilgrims.
Gombe State has a total of 1,370 intending pilgrims for this year’s Hajj, and the airlifting is scheduled to start on Saturday, June 1st, 2024.
