The Niger state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has called for partnership with the state pilgrims welfare board for effective media coverage during pilgrimages.
A statement by the assistant secretary of the council, Abubakar Kuta made available to ASHENEWS on Wednesday, quoted its Chairman, Abu Nmodu as making the call during a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary of the board, Umar Lapai.
He stressed the need for the board to consider the partnership towards adequate coverage of Hajj operations, stressing that other states across the country were already benefiting from similar collaboration.
The chairman said the aimed of the visit was to introduce the new executives of the union with a view of cementing the long standing cordial relationship existing between the two organisations.
Responding, Lapai described the conventional media as epitome of responsible journalism and the propellers of peace as against promoters of fake news on the social media.
He added that the board under his leadership was media-friendly and would maintain with the tempo.
He said the board under his watch was recognised as leading in the country with the largest number of pilgrims in the 2019 Hajj operations.
Lapai also pointed out that the board has made it a principle of not engaging in cash transactions and collection of draft until such drafts were accompanied with passports, among other documents.
The executive secretary disclosed that the board have a roll-over of about 1,968 pilgrims and had suspended the collection of new Hajj fares until further instructions from the National Hajj Commission, NAHCON.
He further disclosed that the board has refunded about N1.2 billion to about 834 pilgrims that could not make it to Hajj due to COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
The Executive Secretary, who underscored the importance of the media in societal development, assured the NUJ that the desired attention would be accorded to journalists in Hajj operations, in the similar way same is extended to other professional teams in the exercise.
