The Minister of Gender and Children Affairs, Steven Gaojia, yesterday in an exclusive interview with Awoko,said that a total of eight hundred and one (801) Sierra Leonean pilgrims have successfully landed on the Holy Land of Mecca; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to perform this year’s pilgrimage.
He said that the trip, onboard Royal Air Moroc, which was spearheaded by his ministry’s Hajj Committee, is in fulfillment of one of the key pillars of Islam, which states that all Muslims should, when capable, perform a pilgrimage to Mecca, as a commitment to demonstrate their loyalty to the supreme being-Allah.
The minister said all 801 pilgrims, reached Mecca without any hiccup relating to mis-procedures, considering the fact that they successfully went through a registration process, done at his Ministry. Therefore, none of them was left behind in the voyage this time around.
He maintained that the Government of Sierra Leone ensured appropriate procedures ahead of the trip, in a bid to prevent embarrassments, which have over the years been associated with Hajj issues. He said the first flight left on Saturday while the second and third flights left on Sunday and Monday respectively.
The Gender Minister said the 801 pilgrims, on their departure, were taken to the Lungi International Airport Hotel, where their Boarding Passes and Passports were issued to them to avoid misplacement. He said they also numbered all boarding passes together with their seats in the aircraft.
He affirmed that no pilgrims was stranded at the airport, as it was happening in the past because this trip was carefully planned and spearheaded by honest people.
He expressed thanks to President Ernest Bai Koroma for providing scholarships to over hundreds of Sierra Leonean pilgrims this year. The Minister also noted that while it has been reported that the pilgrims have reached their destination, his ministry is in constant touch with the head of delegation, Alhaji Sheik Kamara for updates on their welfare.
By Poindexter Sama
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