NAHCON Moves to Probe Poor Services Offered to Nigerian Pilgrims

Hammed Shittu in Makkah

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has set up an eight-man committee to review the services offered to Nigerian pilgrims at the Masha’ir(Muna and Arafat) by the Saudi Arabia authorities during the 2023 hajj operations and come up with a recommendation and position paper.

The poor services among others, it was gathered, include feeding and inadequate tents accommodation which led many Nigerian pilgrims to sleep outside the approved tents for the Hajj exercise.

A statement issued in Makkah yesterday  signed by the NAHCON’s Deputy Director, Information and Publication, Alhaji Mousa Ubandawaki stated:”The decision was part of the resolution adopted  at the end of a meeting between NAHCON, State Muslim pilgrims welfare boards and Tour Operators”.

The meeting, according to the statement, was held at the  Commissions Ummul-judd office in Makkah and was attended by the Executive Secretaries/Chairmen or Amirul Hajj of the 36 states, FCT, the Armed forces and members of AHOUN.

The statement said: “Committee which was inaugurated by the Commissioner in charge of Policy Personnel, Management and Finance (PPMF), Alhaji Nura Hassan Yakasai, on behalf of the Chairman/CEO, Alhaji  Zikrullah Kunle Hassan to address the poor service rendered to Nigerian pilgrims in Muna and Arafat during the just concluded Hajj.

“The Committee which is to be headed by the Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Abdullahi Rabiu Kotangora, consists of Alh Abdulkadir Oloyin, Assistant Director, in the Office of the Chairman, Mallam Ishaq Jae of the Saudi Liaison Office. Other members are the  Secretary of  Adamawa, SPWB, Director, FCT Pilgrims welfare board as well as the Secretary of Lagos Pilgrims Welfare board, AHUON  is to be represented by the Vice Presidents of Lagos and Kano Zones respectively.

“The committee has the following terms of reference: to review the 2023 HAJJ Masha’ir services provided by company of Muttawwifs for African non-Arab countries, to establish the services provided as contained in the contract for all packages”

Others include: “to establish services not rendered, to establish services poorly rendered; to seek for compensation/ refund as the case may be and to recommend mitigation strategies for future exercises.”

The statement added: “The Committee is to aggregate all the complaints from the NAHCON, States and Tour Operators during the Masha’ir for onward submission to the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah for necessary action.”