NAHCON Enters Hadaya Partnership with Ja’iz Bank
In preparation for 2018 Hajj exercise, management of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has met with representatives of Ja’iz Bank of Nigeria (JBN) to sign an agreement for collection of Hadaya fees from Nigerian pilgrims for onward delivery to Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Saudi Arabia through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The fee, which does not form part of Hajj fares, is however mandatory for a category of pilgrims planning to observe certain types of Hajj rites.
Those present at the agreement signing event which took place at the NAHCON headquarters are the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of JBN, Mr. Hassan Usman, the Deputy Managing Director of the bank (DMD) Mr. Mahe Abubakar, Company Secretary, Ms. Rukayyat Salaudeen and one of the bank’s branch managers Yusuf Isa Jonge.
In his submission the NAHCON’s commissioner of Policy, Personnel Management and Finance, Dr. Yusuf Adebayo Ibrahim , who represented NAHCON chairman at the occasion urged JBN to ensure that a receipt is issued to each pilgrim that pays for Hadaya.
He said doing so has a triple edged advantage because firstly it will promote transparency, secondly disallow loopholes for fraudsters to exploit and lastly it will help build people’s confidence in the process.
He observed that most pilgrims are not computer literate thus cannot have access to their online receipts. He also requested Ja’iz bank to ensure that any pilgrim who desires a share of his sacrificial ram should get it.
In his response, the JBN MD reassured NAHCON of his bank’s credibility, transparency and dedicated service to its clients even where the profit is meager.
He assured that despite the fact that IDB only issues electronic receipts to its clients through sms alert, however JBN will explore ways to print such receipts for individual pilgrims instead of the past practice where they print bulk receipts for states.
By PRNigeria
