Barrister Abdullahi Accompanies New NAHCON Board to Senate Screening
The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, today 29th of January 2020 began screening of President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominees for 4th Board of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria. This is coming a day after the resumption of the National Assembly from recess. Accompanying the nominated board members for the screening exercise was Barrister Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad, the outgoing Chairman. Also accompanying the new board members was representative of the presidency in the National Assembly.
Presiding over the screening exercise, Chairman Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa, explained that the exercise would have commenced before the break but for certain requirements that need to be fulfilled. However, he assured that the Committee has taken the extra burden of expediting action that would see to the quickest conclusion of the screening activity in order to submit its report in plenary for onward delivery to the presidency.
Senator Bulkacuwa congratulated the nominees and extolled the outgoing Chairman, Barrister Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad, for turning NAHCON into a viable and independent establishment. Senator Bulkachuwa called on the outgoing Chairman to consider himself a NAHCON member for life and not to turn his back on the Commission for service and advise. He described Hajj Affairs as a service to the Almighty and wherever one finds himself, one should serve the Almighty. To the new board, the Senate Committee Chairman enjoined them to consider his Committee as their partners and they will always be there to assist as well as advise them.
In response to a question by Senator Sahabi Ya’u, the NAHCON Chairman designate, Barrister Dhikirullahi Hassan appreciated the level of achievement attained by the outgoing Chairman and promised to build on it. He identified Hajj Savings Scheme, a plan already in an advanced stage, as a scheme that needs to take off soonest in order to stabilise Hajj fares in Nigeria. Hajj Training Institute, another project whose foundation the outgoing Chairman has set in steady progress, will professionalise Hajj in Nigeria and beyond. Therefore, the training institute is a vision the incoming Chairman would pursue to fruition. Barr. Hassan promised to study the possibility of reducing days spent in Saudi Arabia during Hajj as well as enforcing Hajj guidelines and dictates of the NAHCON Establishment Act.
Described by Senator James Manager as a good man, Barr. Abdullahui Mukhtar Muhammad praised the incoming Chairman as capable and well experienced in Hajj administration. He equally praised President Muhammadu Buhari for his foresight and admonished the incoming board to commence work on 2020 Hajj immediately as Hajj is time bound. He prayed to the Almighty to assist them in the discharge of their duties. The outgoing chairman made this comments while reacting to questions by newsmen after screening of the Chairman designate.
Meanwhile, the Acting Chairman yesterday hosted the board nominees to a dinner as a prelude to the screening exercise. Among the Acting Chairman’s entourage were NAHCON Directors.
Members of Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs present during the screening are Senator Ibikunle Amosun representing Ogun Central, Senator Sahabi Ya’u, representing Zamfara North Senatorial District and Senator James Manager representing Delta South Senatorial District.
NAHCON 4th Board members screened today are Barrister Dhikrullah Hassan as Chairman, Shehu Muhammad: representing Ministry of Aviation; ACG Aminu Bako Yarima: representing Nigerian Immigration Service, Pharmacist Zainab Ujudud Shariff: Ministry of Health; Nura Hassan Yakasai: Commissioner Policy, Personnel Management and Finance (PPMF); Abdullahi Magaji Hardawa: Commissioner Operations; Sheikh Momoh Suleman: Commissioner, Planning Research, Statistics, Information and Library (PRISLS); Sadiq Musa: member South-South; Abba Jatau: Member North East; Ibrahim Nuhu: Board member from Central Bank; Garba Umar; member, North West; Halima Jibril: member North Central; Dr Bala Muhammad: member Jama’atu Nasril Islam. Others are, Alhaja Basirat Olayinka: South West; and Yusuf Nwoha: Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Ibrahim Ogbonnia Amah: South East.
Fatima Sanda Usara,
Head, Public Affairs,
NAHCON
