Hajj 2023: NAHCON Airlifts 3,044 Pilgrims, Sets up Committee to Seek Refunds

Hajj 2023: NAHCON Airlifts 3,044 Pilgrims, Sets up Committee to Seek Refunds

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, in Makkah

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), has set up an eight man Committee to review the services offered to Nigerian pilgrims at the Masha’ir during the 2023 Hajj and come up with a recommendation and position paper.

The decision was part of the resolution adopted at the end of a meeting between NAHCON, State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards and Tour Operators, which held at the Commissions Ummul-judd office in Makkah on Wednesday and was attended by the Executive Secretaries/Chairmen or Amirul Hajj of the 36 states, FCT, the Armed forces and members of AHOUN.

The Committee was inaugurated by the Commissioner in charge of Policy Personnel, Management and Finance (PPMF), Alh Nura Hassan Yakasai, on behalf of the Chairman, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, to address the poor services rendered to Nigerian pilgrims in Mina and Arafat during the just concluded Hajj.

The Committee which is to be headed by the Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Abdullahi Rabiu Kotangora, consists of Alh Abdulkadir Oloyin, Assistant Director, in the Office of the Chairman, Mallam Ishaq Jae, of the Saudi Liaison Office, and other stakeholders.

According to a statement by NAHCON’s Deputy Director in charge of Information and Publication, Mousa Ubandawaki, the committee has the following Terms of Reference;

‘To review the 2023 HAJJ Masha’ir services provided by Company of Muttawwifs for African Non -Arab countries.

To establish the services provided as contained in the contract for all packages.

To establish services not rendered.

To establish services poorly rendered.

To seek for compensation/ refund as the case may be

To recommend mitigation strategies for future exercises.

The Committee is to aggregate all the complaints from the NAHCON, States and Tour Operators during the Masha’ir for onward submission to the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah for necessary action.”

The NAHCON had last week lamented the poor services rendered to Nigerian pilgrims in Mina by the Saudi firm and said the Commission would seek refunds for services not rendered.

Meanwhile, the Commission has continued to take pilgrims back to the Nigeria in batches.

PRNIGERIA can report that with AZMAN flight ZU2347 which departed Jeddah to Jigawa at 22:25hrs on Wednesday with 400 Jigawa Pilgrims, a total of eight flights have returned to Nigeria with a total of 3,044 successful pilgrims.