Nigerian pilgrims for this year’s Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) yesterday lamented the absence of Nigerian dishes among the meals served at Muna.

They complained about what they called the late and substandard meals served at Muna and Medina.

According to them, some of the meals are not healthy for consumption.

The pilgrims spoke during the visitation of the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) board to various states’ tents in Muna.

With the board members were: Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, = Muhammad Adamu Bulkachuwa; the Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Yahaya Lawan and the Consulate-General of Nigeria in Jeddah/Senior Counselor 1 in KSA, Idris Umar Kumo.

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Some of the states the board visited included Jigawa, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Bauchi, Sokoto, Kwara, Abia, FCT, Ebonyi, Ogun and Yobe.

NAHCON Chairman Zikrullah Hassan said the Saudi Arabian government changed the usual meal arrangements for Nigerian pilgrims.

The chairman said each state used to nominate its caterers in Muna, but added that this year, the Saudi Arabia government insisted to be in charge of the meal.

The commission, he said, had written to the Saudi Arabian authority about the complaints.

Hassan said the commission was seeking refund of money for what he called rejected, late and substandard meals.

Bulkachuwa urged the pilgrims to be patient with the commission, while Lawan promised that things would get better.

The Nigerian government, the senator said, would work with its Saudi Arabian counterpart to ensure that pilgrims get the best treatment in the Holy Land.