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Tag: 2017 Hajj

  • 900 Nigerian pilgrims absconded after 2017 hajj – NAHCON

    900 Nigerian pilgrims absconded after 2017 hajj – NAHCON

    The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) revealed yesterday that 900 Nigerians absconded after the 2017 hajj.

    The NAHCON’s Commissioner in charge of Policy, Personnel Management and Finance, Mr. Yusuf Adebayo, told stakeholders at a meeting in Lagos that such absconding pilgrims were only wasting their time as they would be found out sooner or later by the Saudi authorities.

    “We have also observed that some Nigerians do not return with their state contingents after the pilgrimage; some do not even perform the hajj rites before absconding,” Adebayo said, and asked intending pilgrims for the 2018 Hajj to make early preparation to avoid unnecessary challenges.

    He added: “Most of the challenges we usually face are due to late preparation and the Saudi authorities have taken stringent steps to ensure that they do not recur in 2018.

    “This informs why a deadline of March 31 has been fixed for all hajj payments, because all payments are expected to get to Saudi Arabia by April.”

    Adebayo urged pilgrims to always adhere strictly to the regulations guarding hajj exercise so as to enjoy full spiritual benefits of the exercise.

    Also, Mr Muftau Okoya, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Muslims Pilgrim Board, assured NAHCON of his board’s cooperation in all areas of preparation for the hajj.

    He urged intending pilgrims from the state to take advantage of the little time left to conclude their payments for the 2018 Hajj.

    “I thank NAHCON for bringing this stakeholders’ meeting to Lagos.

    “I assure the commission that we shall always cooperate with them.

    “It is barely one month to the deadline, and I urge intending pilgrims from Lagos State to take advantage of the little time left to conclude their processes,” he said.

    The stakeholders’ meeting was attended by NAHCON officials from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun.

  • Hajj: Med-View concludes pilgrims’ airlift

    Hajj: Med-View concludes pilgrims’ airlift

    Med-View Airline, one of Nigeria’s official carriers for the 2017 Hajj operations on Thursday concluded the airlift of pilgrims from Saudi Arabia.

    The Managing Director of the airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, confirmed the development to journalists in Lagos.

    He said the last flight conveying pilgrims from the Eastern zone; comprising Enugu and Port Harcourt, among others, landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport at 7:00 a.m.

    Bankole said about 15, 000 pilgrims were airlifted to Nigeria, while the other 2,000 were taken to Djbouti, Guinea-Bissau and Sudan.

    He said the airline, which deployed three aircraft – B747-400, B777-200 and B767-300 – for the exercise had in the last 11 years of its foray into Hajj operations transported over 350,000 Hajj pilgrims.

    Bankole commended the stakeholders, including the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) management for their contributions towards the success of the exercise.

    He said: “We airlifted about 15,000 from Nigeria and passengers from Lagos, Kano and environs including the allocations from the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON).

    “We have now gone international by airlifting pilgrims from Sudan, Guinea Bissau and Djibouti. If you add those ones, we have more than 17,000 pilgrims.

    “The exercise has been successful by the grace of Allah. The way God has made it easier this year was wonderful.

    “We thank everybody including the entire management of Hajj Commission and all the stakeholders as we hope for a better exercise in 2018.”

    NAN

     

     

  • Hajj: Niger completes airlift of pilgrims back home

    Hajj: Niger completes airlift of pilgrims back home

    Niger Pilgrims Welfare Board has transported all its 4,225 pilgrims that performed the 2017 Hajj back home.

    Chairman Publicity Committee of the Amirul Hajj team, Alhaji Ali Borgu disclosed while speaking with newsmen in Minna on Sunday.

    He said that the pilgrims came back in 13 flights with the Saudi Arabian Arabian Airline, Fly Nas.

    Borgu commended the pilgrims for being worthy ambassadors of the state and for adhering to the rules and regulations of the Saudi kingdom during the hajj exercise.

    He explained that none of the Niger pilgrims died or was found wanting in the holy land during and after the hajj rituals.

    He commended Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger for his support to the committee which contributed to successes recorded this year.

  • Five Nigerian pilgrims die in Saudi Arabia

    Five Nigerian pilgrims die in Saudi Arabia

    The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) said on Tuesday that five Nigerian pilgrims have died since the beginning of the 2017 Hajj operation.

    The Executive Chairman of NAHCON, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad, disclosed this during the 2017 Pre-Arafat meeting with stakeholders organised by the Commission in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

    Muhammad, however, did not disclose the names of the deceased, saying the Commission would first reach out to the families of the deceased before revealing their identify to the public.

    Similarly, the NAHCON chief said the Commission recorded one delivery and one miscarriage, assuring that it would continue to provide effective healthcare service to pilgrims.

    Muhammad vowed that no amount of threat, arm twisting, ill motivated criticisms and real or imaginary hurdles would deter the Commission from achieving its goals.

    He also called on all stakeholders to put all hands on deck to ensure a hitch free exercise.

    He said no one should rest on his oars until every pilgrim successfully carried out the hajj rites and safely returned to Nigeria.

    A total 81,200 Nigerian pilgrims would join their Muslims counterparts from around the world to perform this year’s hajj.

    Over two million pilgrims from around the world and Saudi Arabia have assembled in Mecca to perform the 2017 hajj rites beginning from Wednesday, according to a local Newspaper, The Saudi Gazette.

    Afterwards, the pilgrims would move to Muna where they will stay for five days during which they will throw pebbles at Satan.

    NAN

  • Hajj 2017: Saudi authorities assure Nigerian pilgrims of safety

    Hajj 2017: Saudi authorities assure Nigerian pilgrims of safety

    The Saudi Arabian authority has reiterated its commitment towards the safety and security of Nigerian pilgrims as the 2017 hajj rites commences in earnest.

    Giving this assurance Tuesday was the Deputy Governor of Madina, Dr. Wahid Alsihli.

    He spoke during a parley with Nigeria’s Charge de Affairs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Umar Z. Salisu and officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, where he conveyed the Saudi government’s readiness to contain the excesses of some its security operatives.

    The Secretary, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Dr. Bello Tambuwal had petitioned the Kingdom to express his dismay over the overzealous behaviour of some its security operatives at the Madina Airport.

    It would be recalled that some two Nasarawa State pilgrims were roughly handled by the security agents on arrival at the Airport.

    NAHCON’s petition had prompted the intervention of the Saudi government.

    The deputy governor, said that it was unfortunate that the guests of Allah could be badly treated by those who are supposed to show kindness to them and this he vowed will not be tolerated, hence the decision to punished the overzealous agents to serve as deterrent to others.

    The deputy governor along with the deputy Minister in charge of Hajj and Umrah Affairs in the Kingdom, Muhammad Abdurrahman Bijawy, were at the Nigerian pilgrims’ hotel to personally apologise to the victims, NAHCON, Nigerian government and pilgrims over the issue.

    Responding, the Nigerian Charge de Affairs, Ambassador Umar Z. Salisu expressed delight over the Saudi Arabian government’s humility, as to accept the mistakes of its overzealous agents, tender an apology and above all to send high ranking government officials to apologise to the two victims from Nasarawa State, Alhaji Audu Damina Muhammad and Alhaji Ibrahim Nani Godi.

    Ambassador Salisu also commended the NAHCON management in Madina for their prompt proactive measure in handling the issue.

  • NAHCON opens three clinics in Saudi Arabia

    NAHCON opens three clinics in Saudi Arabia

    The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) said it has opened three clinics to provide adequate healthcare services for Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

    The Commission’s Medical Coordinator in Medina, Dr. Hamidu Liman, stated this on Tuesday in Medina.

    Liman said based on the regulations of Saudi Authorities, the Commission was allowed to operate primary healthcare centres in Saudi Arabia.

    He said NAHCON had opened three clinics in Medina for pilgrims, adding that all the clinics are well stocked with anti-malaria drugs, analgesic and ambulance services.

    According to him, the clinics are presently functional while they would be strengthened and made fully operational as the number of pilgrims transported to Saudi Arabia increased.

    Liman said: “The medical team came three days in advance before the arrival of pilgrims to make sure that we clean the premises and set up the clinics to render service to pilgrims.

    “Anything beyond what we can handle will be appropriately referred to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hospitals for proper management.

    “In terms of facilities or equipment, basically everything that we need to run primary healthcare service is adequately provided by the Commission.”

    NAN

     

  • Hajj: Obaseki charges Edo Pilgrims to be good ambassadors

    Hajj: Obaseki charges Edo Pilgrims to be good ambassadors

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Tuesday charged the state delegation to the 2017 Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to be good ambassadors of the state.

    Obaseki who gave the charge during a visit to the 260 intending pilgrims at the Hajj Camp on Dumez Road, Benin City, said: “The exercise you are about to embark on is a holy one, and one of the pillars of the Islamic religion. Don’t joke with it. You are courageous, upright, honest citizens of the state and I know you will demonstrate all these qualities in the ‘Holy Land’.”

    He maintained that he was ready to partner with people that gather in the name of God because of what God has done in his life and added that his presence at the Hajj Camp was to make sure the pilgrims were comfortable and bid them farewell to the ‘Holy Land’.

    Obaseki however disclosed that the late inauguration of the State Muslim Welfare Board was due to the efforts of some people to politicise the selection of the members.

    He stressed that “the work of God is not about politics, as every politician wants to be on the State Muslim Welfare Board. I wonder if the board is for politics or the work of God. If Allah calls you to serve him, serve him with a true heart and a sincere mind, not to manipulate a religious process. The interference in the process delayed the setting up of the Board.” he concluded.

    The Chairman of the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Ibrahim Oyarekhua, said the governor’s visit to the intending pilgrims at the Hajj Camp ahead of their departure, was the first of its kind and a demonstration of the governor’s humility.

    He appealed to the governor to provide the board with an official vehicle and a befitting Hajj Camp at the board’s office in the state capital.

  • 2017 hajj: Kano pilgrims’ board bars four pregnant women

    2017 hajj: Kano pilgrims’ board bars four pregnant women

    The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board said on Friday it has barred four pregnant women from traveling to Saudi Arabia for this year’s hajj.

    “The affected women were detected during the mandatory pregnancy screening exercise,” Alhaji Nuhu Badamasi, the board Public Relations Officer, said in Kano.

    Badamasi said pregnant women are usually not allowed to travel for hajj exercise because of its rigorous nature.

    He advised female intending pilgrims, who are yet to attend the mandatory screening, to do so before the commencement pilgrims’ airlift.

    He warned that female pilgrims, who refused to attend the ongoing pregnancy test, would not be allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia.

    “There is no way they will escape the screening. If a woman refuses to go for it, there is another screening before boarding the aircraft at the airport,” he said.

    He said the airlift of intending pilgrims from Kano would commence between August 6 and August 7.

    NAN

     

  • 2017 hajj: FCT pilgrims to depart Sunday

    The Federal Capital Territory Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board said on Wednesday it would commence transportation of its intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

    The Public Relations Officer of the board, Malam Muhammad Lawal, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

    Lawal said the board had released Flight Manifests of all intending pilgrims for this year’s hajj to its officials across the six Area Councils.

    He said all the intending pilgrims scheduled for the first and second flights were expected to report to the FCT Permanent Hajj Camp on July 26, for collection of their travel documents.

    The spokesman urged the intending pilgrims to adhere strictly to the flight schedule, adding that those who miss their flight would have themselves to blame.

    Lawal said the camp would be opened for the first flight from 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, while those scheduled for second flight should report from 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.

    He advised the pilgrims to collect their identity cards from their area officers before proceeding to the camp as only those with pilgrims’ identity card would be allowed to enter the camp.

    NAN

     

     

  • NASS sets up committee to resolve 2017 hajj controversy

    NASS sets up committee to resolve 2017 hajj controversy

    The National Assembly has set up an adhoc committee to resolve issues arising from the 2017 hajj fares announced by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NACON).

    The Chairman, House Committee on Nigeria and Saudi Inter-Parliamentary Friendship, Dr. Abdullahi Salame, stated this at a National Hajj and Umrah Stakeholders’ Conference on Saturday in Abuja.

    Salame said the committee had been mandated to investigate the true picture of this year’s hajj fares and suggest ways to bring down the fares if possible.

    The lawmaker assured that NASS would continue to give necessary support to ensure that religious activities within and outside the country are conducted with little hitches.

    Salame, however, urged NAHCON to always involve stakeholders on hajj when taking decisions to avoid unnecessary controversy in future.

    The Guest Speaker at the workshop, Dr. Usman Bugaje, urged the commission to intensify efforts aimed at overcoming problems hindering smooth hajj operation in the country.

    NAN