The consultant to the Saudi Ministry of Health, Mr. Michael Carner, who called the New Telegraph from Jeddah, KSA said that the Kingdom’s Ministry of health or the Acting Minister of Health, Adel Fakeih had never issued any statement to make Ebola test compulsory for intending Nigerian pilgrims and those from Ebola-hit countries.

Stating that he became aware of this issue through the online edition of New Telegraph’s Islam page, the consultant cautioned operators of Hajj operations to be wary of creating undue panic for intending pilgrims and members of their families. The outbreak of the dreaded Ebola virus, he said, would not affect Nigeria’s 2014 pilgrimage plans to the Holy land.

Both the Kano and Kwara State Pilgrims Welfare Boards have earlier said that the NAHCON gave a directive for Ebola and the pregnancy tests for the intending female pilgrims but Carner said that the directive did not emanate from the Kingdom.

The Public Relations Officer of the board, Nuhu Badamasi, gave the directive when he spoke in Kano.

His view was corroborated by the Executive Secretary, Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Hajia Fatimah Abolore Jimoh, said the board was 85 per cent ready for the airlift of the pilgrims.

Badamosi said all prospective pilgrims were expected to attend the medical screening, while only female pilgrims would undergo the pregnancy test.

Carner however denied reports in some sections of the media that the Saudi Arabia Authority had earlier announced a ban on Muslims from the West African countries that had been stricken with Ebola from performing Hajj this year over infection fears.

“The Ministry of Health has not issue any statement on this and I will be happy if you can help put this issue in right perspective so as to douse any panic that the media reports could have caused,” he said.

Badamasi of Kwara Pilgrims Welfare Board had earlier said the National Hajj Commission, NAHCON, directed all the state pilgrims welfare boards to conduct the medical and pregnancy tests on the intending pilgrims in order to know their individual health status.

“The medical and pregnancy tests are absolutely necessary and compulsory, so any pilgrim who refuses to attend it can lose his or her Hajj seat”, he said.

Meanwhile, the local Hajj companies in Saudi Arabia have shown preference for tents in Mina for their pilgrims than rent buildings at high rates, Makkah daily reported.

They said they had incurred huge losses last year due to the high rental costs, the decrease in the number of pilgrims in each building and a ban preventing Gulf citizens from staying in such accommodation.

In addition, many Saudis refuse to reside in buildings due to a religious edict that prohibits them from living in buildings in Minna, they said.

The owner of a domestic pilgrims company, Sultan Al- Qurashi, said he had incurred huge losses last year and expected further losses this year due to these circumstances.

He said: “Two years ago, I did not incur any losses because Gulf citizens were allowed to reside in these buildings.

“Last year I lost round SR3 million and I was forced to pay the high rent, otherwise the Ministry of Hajj would cancel my license.”

Al-Qurashi pointed out that he had prepared a study detailing his losses and would present it to the ministry. Investor Saad Allehayyani said the ministry had reduced the number of pilgrims allowed to reside in a building from 2,900 to 2,436.

“The ministry had also increased the area allotted for each pilgrim from 1.6 square meters to 2.5 square meters,” he said.

He called for reducing the rental costs from SR70,000 a room to SR35,000 to reduce costs. Deputy Minister for Hajj Affairs Dr. Husain Al-Shareef said the ministry also asked for a reduction in rental costs but the decision lies in the hands of the Mina Real Estate Company, which owns the buildings.