Press Release
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria NAHCON, States pilgrims’ welfare boards and private Hajj and Umrah companies have pledged to increase collaboration to ensure improved service delivery to Nigerian Pilgrims.
The three major Hajj stakeholders said they have the responsibility to make sure Nigerian Pilgrims have value for money during the forthcoming Hajj.
Rising from a meeting held separately with NAHCON at the Ummul Jud, office of the commission in Makkah Saudi Arabia on Friday, the Chief Executives of States” Pilgrim’s welfare boards, Agencies/Commissions and their private tour operator’s counterpart acknowledged the need to close ranks for the benefit of pilgrims.
The meeting which was presided over by the Chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Alh Zikrullah Kunle Hassan had in attendance the Commissioners in charge of Policy Personnel Management and Finance PPMF, Alh Nura Hassan Yakassai, Commissioner in charge of Operations, Licensing and Inspectorate Alh Abdullah Magaji Hardawa and that of Planning Research Statistics Information and Library Services PRSILS Sheikh Suleman Momoh, board members as well as the leadership of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operations of Nigeria (AHUON).
They agreed to work in concert and to rededicate themselves towards achieving greater success in the 2023 Hajj, especially in the area of improved service delivery and the well-being of the pilgrims.
Earlier the NAHCON”s Chairman appealed for the support and cooperation of the stakeholders, stressing that the restoration of the Hajj allocation to the pre-covid era of 95,000 to Nigeria made it imperative for all to work together in the interest of pilgrims.
According to him “We are happy for the return of our allocation. At the same time, it is a moral burden for us to justify the allocation through an efficient management system and improved service to our pilgrims. Therefore, we need to work as a team to achieve these goals. We have to stick together to go through the process.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Abubakar Adamu Bulkachuwa said the timely release of general guidelines and signing of the Memorandum of Understanding MOU has removed the undue pressure on the Hajj industry, unlike last year.
“We won’t have any excuse for failure. NAHCON will be put to test. Hopefully, the necessary Information has been released by Saudi Arabia, it is now left for us to put our acts together”.
We expect states to braze up for the exercise and to help the Hajj Commission in the interest of Nigerian Pilgrim’s” adding that the legislature will continue to give maximum support to NAHCON to ensure that this year’s Hajj would be one to be remembered as remarkable for a very long time.
In his remarks, the Consul-General of the Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah, Ambassador Mansur Abdulkareem, emphasized the importance of pilgrims’ education and enlightenment and urged the State pilgrim’s welfare boards to give priority to pilgrims’ education.” Let’s stick by the wordings of Memorandum of Understanding we signed”, he said.
In his remarks, the Executive secretary of Niger State pilgrims welfare board, Alh Umar Makun said the decision taken is a demonstration of the oneness and unity between NAHCON and the States. ” I want to inform the general public that we are working as a team. We have no excuse now as we are starting early. All hands must be on deck. Anyone of our members that is appointed to the Committee must be ready to do Justice to the assignment given. We have to join hands with NAHCON to ensure the improved service delivery to our Pilgrims”
Signed
Mousa Ubandawaki
Assistant Director of Information and Publications
NAHCON
