Alhaji Ahmad Maigari with the Deputy Minister of Hajj Dr Abdurahman Bijawi during Hajj operations
By Ibrahim Muhammed
Alhaji Ahmad Maigari, the Ag. Secretary of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), has handed over the affairs of the secretariat of the commission to the newly appointed scribe Dr Abdullahi R. Kontagora.
The event which took place Monday at the Hajj House headquarters of the commission in Abuja signaled the end of a career in NAHCON that spanned over 15 years.
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Unknown to many, Alhaji Ahmad Maigari had previously served in MAMSER – an agency created by former Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida for Mass Mobilization on self-reliance, zero injustice, and economic recovery. It was established by to serve as a political orientation organ after a recommendation from the Political Bureau headed by Dr Samuel Joseph Cookey.
Alhaji Maigari rose to the rank officer II and later Assistant Director in the National Orientation Agency. He was later deployed to serve as a liaison officer in the then Directorate of Pilgrims Affairs.
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When NAHCON was created in 2006, He started as a desk officer after the commission invited the NOA to be part of its adhoc enlightenment committee for onshore and offshore activities in 2012.
Maigari served as the Secretary of the committee.
The Pioneer Chairman of NAHCON and the current Minister of FCT, Mohammed Musa Bello was impressed with the report of the Pilgrim’s education and Jamarat committee where Maigari served as the secretary and later invited him to serve as his Special Assistant.
Maigari retained his position as Special Assistant in the office of NAHCON Chairman and also an Assistant Director in the office of Chairman till 2015.
The former Chairman of NAHCON Barr Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammed appointed him as Ag Secretary of the commission when the former Secretary, Dr Bello Tambuwal retired in 2018 – a position he retained under the 4th board led by Barr Zikrullah Hassan.
Alhaji Ahmad Maigari retires from public service after 30 years of dedicated and eventful service and handed over to the recently appointed NAHCON Secretary Dr Abdullahi R. Kontagora on the 15th November 2021.
Ahmad Maigari, representing NAHCON was part of the committee that drafted a report, alongside other countries such as Indonesia, Iran, Niger, Pakistan and India on the need to construct the 4th Floor at Jamarat Bridge in Mina. It was widely believed that the report contributed to Saudi Arabia’s decision to construct the 4th Floor at the Jamarat to ease congestion during throwing of pebbles.
One remarkable achievement of Alhaji Maigari is the coordination of the operations of NAHCON in Madina as the head of the team which eventually earned Nigeria an award by the Ministry of Hajj Madina in 2019 when Barr Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammed was the Chairman.
