Hajj Commission Recovers N1.5bn from 2015 Exercise

Paul Obi in Abuja

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Thursday said it has recovered the sum of N1.5bn from the 2015 exercise from Nigerians who participated last year.

NAHCON also reiterated its resolve to ensure service delivery to Nigerian pilgrims without hitches.

NAHCON Chairman, Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad, stated this at the National Hajj conference organized by the Association for Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON) on the theme titled: ‘Towards a Better Hajj Operation and Services Delivery in the 21th Century’ held at the National Mosque Abuja.

Muhammad further revealed that, the activities of the tour operators will be severely monitored and evaluated to ensure quality service delivery to the pilgrims in the next exercise.

The commission “insisted that for every service not rendered by the state pilgrims board or any tour operator refund will be made” adding that, “a sum of N1.5bn were recovered from Nigerian pilgrims for the 2015 hajj.”

“2016 hajj will be closely monitored from beginning to the end. We will have auditor who monitors your services rendered. Any of you who gives poor services, we are going to recover the money from you and refund back to the pilgrims.”

He stated that the time of Ramadan is a time when the illegal operators thrive, he maintained that they will not go unpunished as NAHCON is already partnering with relevant anti-graft and security agencies.

“This is the period when illegal operators are targeting their victims. At appropriate time we will hold press conference on those that have been apprehended and we will make sure that they are prosecuted to ensure that graft in any form is eliminated from Hajj and Umrah activities”

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