From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
A group under the auspices of National Movement for Public Awareness (NMPA) has noted that with the recent returning of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to the office of Vice President, Kashim Ibrahim Shettima, pilgrims will henceforth enjoy better services.
This was even as the group lamented that few years ago, as well as up to the 2023 hajj, it was tales of bad services by NAHCON from pilgrims.
In a statement on Wednesday by the Secretary General of NMPA, Abdullahi Bayero said it was a big relief that the supervision of the Commission was returned to the VP’s office.
Bayero described VP Shettima as a result oriented and talented technocrat, adding that sooner than later Hajj affairs in Nigeria will be headed in the direction needed to get to the promised land.
“It is heart-warming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration
seems poised to reposition NAHCON, by not just taking it to the good old
days but to a glorious future. In fact, returning the Commission to the vice
President office is a step in the right direction. More so, the apex pilgrimage
regulator will be supervised by the office of the Vice President.
“If Shettima’s pedigree and background are taken into consideration, then
one can be bold to say with NAHCON under his watch, all will be home
and dry. His pedigree, as a game changer, result oriented and talents
sourcing technocrat, as witnessed and still being witnessed in Borno, is
one reason to opine that sooner than later Hajj affairs in Nigeria will be
headed in the direction needed to get to the promised land of “Hajj Made
Easy” for all Nigerian Muslims.
“For one believes that he will not waste time in bringing all stakeholders, earthmovers and shakers in Hajj affairs together to brainstorm in ensuring that NAHCON succeeded in its mandate within the shortest possible time.
“To achieve this, there are certain indices that need to be considered; The culture of Amirul Hajj in the yearly exercise which was abolished by Buhari’s administration, because its capital intensive, add little or no value to the ordinary pilgrim and not provided in the Act should be sustained.
“The engagement of operational staff should be limited and must be
from competent, experienced and dedicated people within and outside
the Commission on critical need bases.
“There must be a policy framework for the Commission on which
every substantive management of the Commission must operate on.This will ensure continuity of recorded successes.
“Shettima’s background also gives credence to this postulation. Firstly,
Borno was among the first Kingdoms to come into contact with Islam and
the Muslim world in Nigeria. Hence it became a bastion of Islamic
knowledge, culture and commerce in northern Nigeria, nay the country as
a whole.
“Secondly, coming from a scholarly background, his father was
an Islamic teacher -Shettima cannot afford not to write his name with gold
in righting the affairs of Nigerian Muslim Ummah in general and in
particular, simplifying and easing Hajj exercises in Nigeria through
fortifying NAHCON to achieve the goal for which it was created to score.
“One’s only hope is that Shettima would also hit the ground running in this
direction to seal any doubt, and to solidify the fact that their government
really means business, only that this time around its business unusual”. The statement said.
The group recalled the dwindling services of the Commission, “The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has completed the
airlift of intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia last Saturday, but not without
the anxiety that trails the 2022 and 2023 pilgrimage to the Holy Land. From
accommodation to the selection of airlines, and general administrative
hiccups, Hajj has seldom been a hitch-free exercise of conveying Muslims
to Saudi Arabia, providing them with consular services and returning the
pilgrims back to Nigeria safely.
“Specifically, intending pilgrims, State Pilgrims Welfare Boards or
Agencies, including service providers, are partly responsible for making
Hajj a less than seamless exercise. However, as the body that is saddled
with the regulation and supervision of pilgrimage, as well as exercising
general oversight on Hajj and lesser Hajj, NAHCON should take most of
the blame.
“Last week, the Commission accused three states and the Federal Capital
Territory of trying to short-change about 2,000 intending pilgrims who paid
their fares through the Hajj Savings Scheme (HSS). The Commission
alleged that the states and FCT had refused to allocate slots to that
category of intending pilgrims. This misunderstanding ought not to have
arisen in the first place if only NAHCON has taken the right steps and
operates the scheme in line with the Act.
“Indeed, the establishment of NAHCON in 2006 streamlined Hajj activities,
especially before, during and even after the pilgrimage. Before then, State
Pilgrims Boards or Agencies operated in an uncoordinated manner,
leading to untold hardships to pilgrims, delayed inbound and outbound
flights, poor accommodation and catering services in the Holy Land,
missing luggage and pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. These incidents had
tarnished the image of the country, particularly when pilgrims embarked
on demonstrations to protest delayed fights.
“However, with the repealing of the Nigerian Pilgrims Commission Act and
the promulgation of the NAHCON Act in October 2006, Hajj exercise has
witnessed a lot of improvements. Before NAHCON came on board, some fares and fulfilling all their obligations. For example, in 2005, over 10,000
Nigerians missed that year’s Hajj owing to tardiness of the authorities.
“Almost always, the Federal Government used to plead with Saudi
authorities for waivers, after the official closure of the airlift of pilgrims. All
these were history, only to resurface in 2022 where despite the extinction,
thousands were left behind. Again, in this year 2023, the extinction was
sort and granted till 24th, while the airport was officially closed on the 22nd
“Significantly, the huge gains the Commission recorded has started
declining in recent years, with the coming of the present NAHCON
management. The Commission’s foot-dragging over the prompt refund of
their fares as the Chairman of NAHCON promised a non-transparent
method of the refund, had raised great concerns because the commission
had set a standard, publishing details of all refund made in national dailies.
“Another concern for this year,is how the detail breakdown of the hajj fare
is shrouded in secrecy, details that ought to have been made public as
was the practice. Another worrisome challenge is, lack of team work
among the commission leadership and the state pilgrim board, so also the
challenged of the tent space management face in Minna, where
thousands were stranded and starved”.