The National Coordinator of Independent Hajj Reporters,(IHR) a Civil Society Organisation and publishers of Hajj Reporters online, Ibrahim Mohammed, has arrived Saudi Arabia to monitor the preparations being made by service providers engaged by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), to provide various services to Nigerian pilgrims during Hajj 2023 pilgrimage.
Alhaji Mohammed left the shores of Nigeria on Friday aboard Ethiopian Airline to Jeddah via Addis Ababa.
“We carried out extensive review of our operations as regards how we monitor the activities of all stakeholders and agreed that staying in Nigeria to report alone is never enough, hence the need for us to be on the ground to see the preparations being made for the guests of Ar-Rahman from Nigeria,” Alhaji Ibrahim said after arriving at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jedda.
The IHR Coordinator also said “the executives of IHR asked me to check the accommodation, feeding and Masheer services being put in place and report back to Nigerian intending pilgrims on what to expect for this year”.
He added that for a CSO such as IHR, it is imperative that these type of trips and engagements are carried out independently so that the interest of pilgrims especially in getting a commensurate value for the money is protected.
“We will carry out a diligent assessment of all arrangements being put in place by both service providers and Saudi authorities and report back to the Nigeria public, this I believe will greatly help the system and improve service delivery,” Alhaji Ibrahim said.
