Dr. Bukola Abubakar Saraki, the President of Nigerian Senate has criticised the entry visa issuance policy of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Nigeria for this year’s lesser hajj.
Saraki, who arrived Medinah on Saturday, listened to complaints from some Nigerians who are performing the lesser hajj and noted that the Saudi authorities, unlike other embassies in the country, refused to articulate a visa policy which potential visitors to the holy land can follow and obtain their entry visa without any difficulty once they meet the requirements.
“The present process in which visitors to Saudi must go through a third party has created artificial bottlenecks now being exploited by the travel agents and the embassy officials,” he said.
“Our people are now made to suffer indignities arising from conspiracy between the embassy officials and the so-called agents.
“The process is fraught with corrupt practices.”
He added that some Nigerians told him that they had to send their passports through Saudi embassies in other West African countries where the cost of the visa was less and they did not need to go through the hardship experienced in Nigeria.
“It is unimaginable the amount of money people paid to get visa for this year’s lesser hajj and we do not want that to repeat itself for the hajj proper coming in a few months time.
“You know this religious rites and obligations are very important to our people and so, despite these inconveniences, they still struggle to get here and we have a responsibility to ensure this exploitation and inconvenience stop immediately.”
He however assured Nigerians who complained to him that the Saudi visa policy will be one of the issues the Senate will look into when it resumes plenary later in the month and that the Saudi authorities as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja will be engaged to find a lasting solution to the problems of visa issuance to Nigerians by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Senate president further called on all Nigerian Muslims on lesser hajj and those at home to devote the last days of Ramadan to pray for peace, security, development and progress of Nigeria.
He urged them to specifically ask for Allah’s intervention in the search for a lasting solution to the Boko Haram crisis in the North Eastern part of the country and for God to help President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to revamp the economy of Nigeria. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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We Nigerians are very stupid. We are the only country that troops down in plane loads to Saudi Arabia to pray. What a waste of resource for a country that is already ravaged by poverty. You pray all you want in Saudi Arabia, yet when you return you remain the same corrupt and ignorant bunch of people.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous July 13, 2015 at 2:31 AM, you couldn't have said it better, you said it all and well.
DeleteAnonymous July 13, 2015 at 2:31 AM, you couldn't have said it better, you said it all and well.
DeleteAnonymous July 13, 2015 at 2:31 AM, You and your cohort: July 13, 2015 at 9:10 AM, I am quite sure both of you are not Muslims and your comments borne out of pure ignorance. The Hajj is an Islamic obligation for all Muslims who have the means to do so and quite different from the tourist visit to Israel that does not have any religious backing for Christians in the Bible. Am quite sure you are not conscious Christians that is why you cast aspersions on other people faith, When you will not take a sweeping generalization on a particular religion and make wild, baseless and unsubstantiated allegations you expose your true obliviousness and stupidity. You fail to point out that the two most profitable businesses in Nigeria are Filling Stations and proliferation of Pentecostal Churches, and has that transformed into a Nigeria we all desire of free from corruption, vile and backwardness? I agree it will be wrong to attribute our current state to these but on the government and generality of the people, whichever religious divide one falls into. Therefore, the next time both of you desire to show your ignorance in public, please do so with a sense of decorum least you are called fools.
DeleteMay Allah reward you abundantly
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ReplyDeleteAll state-sponsored prayer trips to Saudi Arabia need to stop. Let's use Eagle Square venue and stop enriching Saudi Arabia, while we get poorer and poorer everyday. For once, let's get smart.
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