Tents: No Going Back on Request for more Hajj Slots – NAHCON Boss
By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, in Mina
The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullahi Kunle Hassan, has said that the shortage of tents and food that Nigerian pilgrims experienced in Mina will not stop the country from requesting for more Hajj slots in next year’s exercise.
The NAHCON boss argued that the fact that the country’s pilgrims overwhelmed the space meant for them in Mina is not enough to take a quick decision on the request for additional slots ahead of next year’s Hajj.
The Nigerian contingent to Saudi Arabia for the 2023 Hajj is 95,000 strong, which is an unprecedented figure.
Thousands of them have however been left stranded in Mina since Monday night over the inability to access tents and bed spaces to lay their heads.
PRNIGERIA had reported that many Nigerian pilgrims have been sleeping on the floor in open spaces since Monday night as the section of Mina allocated to the country is seemingly inadequate for the 95,000 pilgrims.
Some of the pilgrims also complained to PRNIGERIA about the timing and quality of food supply.
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A visibly angry NAHCON boss had in an interview with journalists in Mina on Monday night condemned the treatment meted out to Nigerians by the Saudi Company of Mutawwif for African Non Arab Pilgrims which was in charge of the accommodation and feeding of the country’s pilgrims in Mina.
The Saudi firm thereafter promised to make available a 10,000 capacity tent in the section meant for the Turkish to accommodate the stranded Nigerian pilgrims.
Fielding questions from journalists on Wednesday night after inspecting the new tent made available to the country ahead of evacuation, the NAHCON boss expressed satisfaction with the new tent, saying the Commission will commence evacuation of willing 10,000 pilgrims from the Nigerian section to the Turkish section by 10pm local time.
Asked whether the Nigerian government would reconsider the decision to seek more Hajj slots for next year based on what happened this year, the NAHCON helmsman said it was too early to take such a decision.
“This is not the time to take that kind of decision. It is too early to do that. We can’t say because of this present challenge, we should deny Nigerians the opportunity to come here and worship next year.
“Nigerians are willing to troop in here to come and serve Allah and if Allah has called them, who are we to stop them?” he said.
PRNIGERIA recalls that the Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Yahaya Lawal, had during the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) conference held in Jeddah some weeks ago called on the Saudi authorities to increase the country’s Hajj slot, arguing that 95,000 slot allocation is not commensurate with the country’s capacity and strategic position in the comity of nations with healthy Muslim population.
