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By Lukman Olabiyi
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Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ibrahim Layode, has urged the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to convene a meeting with all states to address the challenges faced during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.
He made this call during a press conference at the Alsaad Flower Hotel 2 in Misfalah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Highlighting the issues, Layode pointed out that many of the challenges stemmed from inadequacies on the part of NAHCON.
He emphasized that the South West region was particularly dissatisfied with the food provided in Mina and the accommodation in Makkah.
“We had a lot of challenges, and most of them are from NAHCON,” Layode said.
He explained that the caterer chosen for Lagos State pilgrims did not consider the preferences of the South West pilgrims, leading to dissatisfaction and near protests in Mina.
Many pilgrims opted to buy food from vendors instead of eating the provided meals. Additionally, the accommodation in Makkah did not meet the expected standards.
Despite these issues, Layode opposed calls for the abolition of NAHCON, stating, “you can’t throw away the baby with the bath water.” He acknowledged that NAHCON has recognized the problems and called for stakeholders to work together to resolve them before the 2025 Hajj.
The Amirul Hajj expressed gratitude to the Lagos State pilgrims for their patience and endurance. He also thanked Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat for their support, particularly in covering the shortfall of the Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) and other expenses such as the cost of rams.
As of now, 926 out of the 1,869 pilgrims from Lagos State who participated in the 2024 Hajj have been airlifted back home.
