Simon Ebegbulem
9 November 2009
Benin — Three hundred and twenty four Muslim pilgrims from Edo state, yesterday, departed Benin City for Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj.
The team is led by the state Amirul-Hajj, the Aidonojie of South-Ibie, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Kelvin Danesi.
In his farewell message, Governor Adams Oshiomhole urged the pilgrims to be good ambassadors of the state.
Oshiomhole, who spoke through the state Commissio-ner for Information and Orientation, Mr Abdul Oroh, admonished the pilgrims not to see the exercise, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, as a jamboree.
He said they should rather see it as a spiritual exercise that is intended to bring them closer to Allah.
Soliciting for their support in making the state and Nigeria as a whole proud, the governor expressed optimism that the conduct of members of the state contingent would be a departure from the disgraceful conduct of previous contingents.
The governor, who congratulated the Muslim community in the state for its support so far, disclosed that they would be part of the events to mark the first anniversary of the state government, adding that government had been able to lay a solid foundation for developmental projects in the state.
On his part, the Chairman of the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Usman Shagadi, appealed to the contingents to shun every conduct that was capable of bringing the name of the state to disrepute.
He assured that "anybody caught indulging in any illicit deal in the Holy land will be reported to the state government and that person will be dealt with accordingly."
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