Nigerian pilgrims from Osun State who are doing the Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2023 have expressed regret about the subpar food supply in the holy country.
In a video, the pilgrims can be seen criticizing the food they have been given since arriving in Saudi Arabia while wearing white Jellabiya.
The pilgrims who are heard speaking in Yoruba dumped their food on the doorstep of the room of the Amir-ul-Hajj, Alhaji Maruf Isola at the hotel where they were lodged in Makkah.
According to DailyPost, the pilgrims revealed that their food allotments were insufficient.
Meanwhile, pilgrims paid about N2.9 million each as Hajj fare.
“For the past four days, they have been feeding us with four slices of bread and two eggs. But now we can no longer endure because the officials and members of the board are being fed with special food.
“But it is from the money that we paid that they are being taken care of. That’s why we are protesting,” one of them said.
The Osun State Muslim Welfare Board, on the other hand, has refuted reports of poor feeding of the state’s pilgrims in the holy land.
This was made known on Sunday by the Board’s Administrative Secretary, Bolaji Sanni on behalf of the Amir-ul-Hajj, Ishola.
Ishola dismissed the allegation of poor meal arrangements for pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, describing it as completely baseless and unfounded.
The board was quoted by Daily Post as saying: “The alleged poor food being purportedly served to the pilgrims was a political mischief intentionally fabricated by fifth columnists to willfully disparage and malign the good reputation of the Board.
“The board will not leave any stone unturned to correct such erroneous impressions being created in the minds of the innocent public.”
“All the pilgrims are in good spirits in the holy land and doing well as they look forward to performing some of the last hajj rites very soon without any problem whatsoever,” it added.
