How Abdullahi Becomes a Cleaner in Makkah

Barr Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammed cleaning Kaduna pilgrims tents during 2011 hajj operation

By

Ibrahim Muhammed

Please, allow me to relay a story to you in my local language with a tiny dose of time tested phrase. We cherish honesty and truthfulness so much that our fore fathers named us (Ebira) which literally means good character. When you hear someone saying “onyi ebira oyiza” it means “that person is endowed with good character.”

Forgive yours sincerely for a little diversion; it is the fear of punctuations guiding the Queen Elizabeth's mother tongue that makes that bend me towards using my inherited tongue. Back to the subject matter. How Abdullahi becomes a cleaner in Makkah and how did he come to Makkah that he finally becomes a cleaner?

The story of Abdullahi appointment as the Executive Secretary of Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare board was a unique meritorious happenstance. It is said that “in peace times everyone is a leader, but real leaders emerge out of crises situations”; the abysmal failure of hajj operations in 1994 happening at a time when Mal Abdullahi was among the state’s contingent performing that year’s hajj. 

That year, there was a tense atmosphere at Jeddah airport over luggage handling and processing.  The process was rowdy and  chaotic, which sent all operational and airline staff hiding. As a result, there were nine days of stalemated operations on the return bound journey. Anger and frustration continued to mount as the days passed by and there was a real ‘no hope situation. It was at the height of this distress that, the young man  Mal. Abdullahi used his initiatives to rally round the angry pilgrims by convincing them of the possibility of getting over the situation if they can get better organized. They agreed to his proposal and even saddled him with the responsibility of leading them on that task.

Like young Moses, he successfully worked out a liaison with the airliners and soon a deal was reached on getting the rowdy and angry pilgrims calm and organized before the work resumed. That was achieved and in no time all the pilgrims got back home. He succeeded in rescuing the nation and Kaduna state from international embarrassment and possible anarchy abroad.

It was as a result of the failure and the attendant embarrassment on the state that the state government sacked the board and its management. The board was later reconstituted by the military administration which somehow got privy of how the young man (Abdullahi) saved the near catastrophe at Jeddah airport and rewarded him with the role of special assistant and director operations of the board.

Now, this is the story of an executive cleaner.  

The year was in 2011 and the place is in Mina and the occasion was during hajj operations. That year, Mr Abduallhi was leading a caravan of over 6,500 pilgrims from crocodile city to fulfill their religious obligations in the Holly land. A day after Arafat, the management of Kaduna state muslim pilgrims welfare boards decides to visit pilgrims in their tents and to address and enlighten pilgrims on the importance of utilizing every available opportunity to pray in the city of white tent.

Typical of this day in Mina, Tukaris has converted the entire space of mina into an open kitchen. The oozing smell of cascading garbage begins to pose serious health challenges and something needs to be done urgently. It was at this juncture, that Abdullahi summon emergency meeting of all Kaduna state appointed hajj officials to converge in the entrance of male tents.

On reaching the venue, we discover that Abdullahi actually arrived the meeting with a broom and a packer instead of tasbir for counting and recounting prayers; and we keep wondering what the hell he is doing with sweeping utensils in the city of white tents. He then announced that all appointed officials should looks for broom because we are going to clear all the garbage and sweeps the pathway so that the pilgrims whom we are paid to serve can perform their prayers in comfort.

Hisses and murmuring from some hajj officials.

What? Why is this man subjecting us to this kind of unnecessary hardship? How can we, state appointed hajj officials be converted to executive cleaner in the name of serving pilgrims?

In a classical case of subtle blackmail and without waiting for possible silent protest against his decision, Abdullahi grabs his broom and start sweeping the pathways thereby forcing other hajj officials to join him in the cleaning of Kaduna state pilgrims tents. Out of amazements, some pilgrims willingly join the team and the entire Kaduna pilgrims tents became clean. Kaduna State hajj official good behavior was praised by Saudi Arabia authorities for contributing to the success of the cleanliness campaign in that year’s Hajj season.

That was how Barr Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammed, the Chairman of National hajj Commission of Nigeria, becomes a cleaner in Makkah during hajj operation in 2011.