Hajj: Osun pilgrims protest food quality

Pilgrims from Osun State in Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj have protested the poor quality of food.

In a video of the protest which has now gone viral, the pilgrims were seen dumping food packs given to them in front of a room said to be occupied by Dr. Maroof Ishola, the state Amirul Hajj.

In the video, one of the pilgrims said they were rejecting the food because the quality did not correspond to the fees they were charged.

“We are rejecting food given to us. We are at the door of Osun Amirul Hajj. We are rejecting the food given to us. The food is poor, we can’t continue to eat such, after paying a huge amount for this pilgrimage,” the pilgrim said.

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Reacting, the Osun Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, said measures had been put in place to address the situation.

“Consequent upon this development, a meeting was held this afternoon to appraise the situation and determine the root cause of the problem with the aim of finding a lasting solution to it. At the meeting were the State Government officials, some representatives of the Pilgrims, as well as the Head of Catering team for the Service Provider.

“The meeting discussed the lack of adequate local Yoruba delicacies in the food menu of the service provider and the need for its inclusion in subsequent meals. The meeting also discussed the possibility of changing the caterers if no improvement is noticed.

“It should, however, be noted that this problem is not peculiar to Osun State, and one can not rule out the possibility of fifth columnists blowing the situation out of control for obvious political reasons.

“The Management of the Osun State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board is deeply committed to ensuring that its Pilgrims derive adequate value for their money, which has been exemplified with their smooth journey to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, visitations to historical sites, securing an accommodation that is close to the Grand Mosque, constant availability of medical personnel at the Restaurant as well as relevant officials to attend to the needs of the Pilgrims,” a statement released on Sunday by Bolaji Sani, Administrative Secretary of the board, read in part.