By Mustapha Adamu
The new Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan on Thursday paid a courtesy call on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A statement by Fatima Sanda Usara, Head, Public Affairs, NAHCON said the visit was in furtherance of the Chairman’s familiarization tour to stakeholders in a bid to sustain continued efforts towards improving Hajj operation in Nigeria.
Mrs Usara stated that the NAHCON CEO was accompanied by his three Permanent Commissioners to the Foreign Affairs ministry.
Received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada and the Permanent Secretary, Mustapha Lawal Suleiman, the minister congratulated the NAHCON leadership for the well-deserved appointment.
According to the statement, Dada stressed the importance of cooperation between NAHCON and the ministry in the interest of innocent pilgrims most of whom are first-timers that might not have travelled out of the country before.
“It is, therefore, a thrust to make Hajj as easy as possible for them. Ambassador Dada assured that their doors will always remain open for consultation and assistance when needed by the Commission.
“He prayed that the Almighty makes it easy for them to succeed and they will also be there to assist the team in attaining success,” parts of the statement reads in part.
The NAHCON Chairman, according to the statement, informed that he decided to pay the visit to the ministry in the early days of his tenure in the consolidation of the bilateral and excellent working relationship between the two agencies, reaffirming that the pilgrims stand to gain most from the existing cordial relationship between the two agencies.
He recalled that most past leaders of the Commission are linked to MOFA, therefore there is no denying the fact that they need each other to succeed.
“Alhaji Zikrullah reiterated his avowed mandate to see that Hajj is made affordable to the poor who struggle to fulfil this religious duty.
“To this effect, the Hajj Savings Scheme is a gateway. He disclosed that his leadership wants the best services to be provided to the pilgrims but at a reduced cost. Therefore, they intend to convince service providers to reconsider some of the chargers in order to bring down Hajj fare,” the statement quoted Alhaji Zikrullah as saying.
Finally, according to the statement, the Chairman thanked the Minister, Permanent Secretary, NAHCON Board member representing the foreign affairs ministry, Amb. Nura Abba Rimi and other directors of the ministry for giving the NAHCON team audience.
The statement said that the visit was the third embarked by the newly appointed board members since the handing over ceremony from the Barr. Abdullahi Mukhtar-led board that took place on the 14thof February.
The first, according to the statement, was a visit to NITDA (National Information Technology Development Agency) to solicit support for further development of the Commission’s ICT’s technical skills
