EDO PILGRIMS BOARD WARNS AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING DURING HAJJ

Shehu Abubakar City

Benin

Th Edo State Muslim pilgrims board has embarked on campaigns against
drug trafficking by intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia just as
Governor Lucky Igbinedion warned that anybody caught in the Holy land
over drug related crimes "will be on his own."

Addressing members at the inaugural meeting of the board, the chairman
of the newly reconstituted body, Sheikh J. E. Abubakar, asked the 18
members of the board to go back to their various communities and
enlighten intending pilgrims on the dangers invovled in trafficking
drugs to Saudi Arabia.

Earlier at the swearing-in ceremony of the members of the board at
Government House, Benin City, Governor Igbinedion had urged Muslims in
the state to expose any worshipper intending to traffic drugs to Saudi
Arabia so that he could be banned from travelling as according to him,
the state will not intercede for anybody arrested with drugs in Saudi
Arabia.

"You know very well how serious the Saudi government is over drugs.
Tell all those who want to visit the Holy land, to either respect
their laws or do not go at all. The state may not have the time and
the resources to go and solicit for any of you there because we have
warned you earlier. Do not carry drugs to their land. Do not steal and
do not fight. Be of good behaviour," Igbinedion warned.

Sheikh Abubakar said the board has inherited from the former board,
some electricity bills for four years, a scrap vehicle in Saudi Arabia
and complained that the board has no official vehicle in the state.

"The premises of the board's office is a rented quarters. Following
government's assurance in the early 80s that it was going to acquire
the premises, the board built a permanent office structure in the premises.

The out-going board just briefed me that government has not acquired
the premises up to date and the original landlord has taken over the
premises along with our structure," Sheikh Abubakar explained.

Reminding the members of their responsibilities towards both the
government and the Muslim community, Sheikh Abubakar said they should
do every thing to ensure the welfare of pilgrims from the state to the
Holy land.

"It is our responsibility to guide and assist our pilgrims throughout
the period of the worship. We should not just see ourselves as
government appointed officials, but as counsellors, advisers, guides
and consultants to the pilgrims. When they have problems, we have
problem because we must assist."

He commended Muslims in the state for living in peace with other
communities and for living according to Islamic teachings, adding,
"despite the names given to Edo in prostitution, robbery and other
crimes. Muslims youths have tried to abstain from all that. We shall
continue to teach our youths the right path."