The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Hajj

  • Hajj: NAHCON faults Senate Ad hoc committee’s report

    •Refunds N2.276b to pilgrims

    The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has faulted the report of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on accommodation for Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

    It says   contrary to the report of the panel, the agency has refunded N2. 276 billion to pilgrims being tent security and similar deposits not utilized and poor services in 2015 and 2016.

    Besides, the commission insists that it did not over charge pilgrims as fares and other rates were determined by it and State Pilgrims Welfare Boards.

    The agency’s views are contained in an observation note it sent to the Senate in response to the submission of the Red Chambers’ Ad Hoc Committee on Hajj Operations.

    It said the Adamu Aliero-led Ad Hoc committee did not visit relevant agencies in Saudi Arabia during its fact-finding tour.

    The observation note was signed by the Acting Secretary of NAHCON, Mr. M. Ahmed.

    It urged the Senate to revisit the report of the Ad Hoc Committee to ensure fairness.

    The commission said: “The 34-page report presented on the floor of the Senate on Thursday 18th October, 2018, in our opinion, was not fair to NAHCON as none of its explanations featured or were considered in the report.

    “Secondly, the report contains several ‘findings’ that are based on wrong information and wrong conclusions.”

    On alleged imposition of bloated charges on pilgrims, the commission said the Ad Hoc committee should have consulted the appropriate Saudi authorities to verify how the rates were arrived at.

    It said it has never at any time extorted or short-changed pilgrims during Hajj.

    NAHCON said: “The components of the Hajj fare are classified under Local/onshore and Foreign/offshore charges. The local charges are arrived at by the Commission in consultation with States Pilgrims Welfare Boards. Some of the foreign charges are negotiated by the Commission along with states and the respective service providers (Makkah and Madina Accommodation, Airfare and catering services. While others are fixed by the Saudi Authorities; Local transportation in Saudi Arabia, tent facilities, security deposits, United Agent Fees etc.

    The Ad hoc Committee should have consulted the relevant Saudi Authorities to verify NAHCON’s claims or to confirm if there are duplications on these fares that are fixed, or not!

    The commission insisted that it has been transparent in its conduct and defending the rights of Nigerian pilgrims.

    It said it was able to secure a refund on N2.276billion for pilgrims for tent security and similar deposits not utilized and poor services in 2015 and 2016.

    NAHCON said: “The two major components of the Hajj fare have been the same since 2013. They were reduced in 2017.

    “All tent security and similar deposits not utilized are refunded to pilgrims annually, once the Ministry of Hajj does so. The Commission in March 2016, refunded the sum of N1.75 billion Naira to Pilgrims Boards of the 36 States of the Country and the FCT for onward refund to pilgrims.

    “Similarly, it refunded N526 million in 2017.

    “This refund was as a result of services not rendered or poorly rendered during the 2015 and 2016. Although the Commission submitted details of these refunds to the Committee, it was, however, not captured. These refunds were even published in national dailies for public awareness.”

    The Hajj commission also accused the Senate Ad Hoc Committee of not visiting relevant agencies in Saudi Arabia before drawing conclusions and writing its report.

    It added:  “The Committee also embarked on “..fact finding mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to verify the veracity or otherwise of all the aggregated information received..”

    It said:

    *The Committee did NOT meet Saudi Government Agencies like the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah which issues all instructions and guidelines for the provision of all pilgrims’ services to ascertain the submissions of NAHCON on organized feeding services. Neither could it verify if NAHCON had failed to follow up on the interest of Nigerians affected by the 2015 stampede.

    *Similarly, it did not meet with the Saudi General Authority on Civil Aviation which is the Aeronautical Authority in charge of Hajj flights to determine the veracity or otherwise of the NAHCON’s submission on 50:50 policy on passenger traffic sharing.

    *It did not meet the Establishment of Mutawwifs for Pilgrims from African Non-Arab Countries, the custodian and host of Nigerian pilgrims in Makkah to ascertain if NAHCON is overcharging or double charging Nigerian pilgrims on tent facilities in Mina and Arafat.

    *It did not meet the General Car Syndicate, the organizer of land transportation in Saudi Arabia to ascertain if NAHCON was responsible for increasing transportation costs in Saudi Arabia from SR 180 to SR360.

    *It did not also meet the United Agents Office to ascertain if tent security and other charges mentioned in B(v) were charged by NAHCON, if and how they overlapped and evidence of payment. vi. It also made many allegations that were not discussed during the public hearing neither was the Commission communicated to for fair hearing. This made the findings inconclusive and completely unfair to NAHCON.

    “This puts the findings of the Committee into question as none of the Saudi Government Organizations that matter in this regard was consulted before making their findings.”

    It accused some  corrupt companies, which had been cheating pilgrims in the past as those behind the campaign of calumny against NAHCON and its chairman/ Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad.

    “The companies affected decided to get back at the Commission by launching a bring-him-down campaign against the Chairman/CEO,” it added.

    The Senate on July 20, 2017 resolved to investigate the activities of the commission following the adoption of a motion by Senator Ibrahim Danbaba (Sokoto South).

    The motion was entitled, ‘Extortion of Monies from Nigerian Pilgrims by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.”

  • Three APC council chairmen die in Saudi Arabia’s accident

    The Hajj Commission in Zamfara on Friday confirmed the death of three local government chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the state in an auto crash in Saudi Arabia.

    The Public Relations Officer of the commission, Malam Yakub-Yahaya Talata-Mafara, confirmed the death to the News Agency of Nigeria  in a telephone interview.

    Talata-Mafara said that the accident occurred around 3.00a.m on Friday, while they were travelling from Makkah to Madina, Saudi Arabia.

    According to him, the victims are six local government chairmen of APC from the state.

    “Three of them died, while three others are receiving treatment at Saudi Arabia Hospital,’’ Talata-Mafara told NAN.

    Read Also: Osun 2018: APC has laid good foundation – Tinubu

    He said that remains of the deceased were under the custody of the Saudi Arabian authorities where they would be processed for burial.

    “Hajj officials of the Zamfara contingents are making the necessary documentation to join the Saudi Arabian authorities in order to give the deceased befitting burial,’’ he said.

    Reacting, the state APC Chairman, Alhaji Lawal M-Liman, described the death as a great loss to the state and Nigeria as a whole.

    M-Liman described the deceased as loyal members of the party who had been in good relationship with their communities.

  • Hajj 2018: Three Zamfara APC council chairmen die in road accident

    Tragedy struck the Zamfara State chapter of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday, August 31, as the party lost three council chairmen in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

    The victims include Jafaru Gidan Sambo of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area (LGA), Mudi Mallamawa of Shinkafi LGA and Abdullahi Shugaba Ruwan Dorowa of Maru LGA.

    The trio died in a bus crash 120 kilometres from Madina while travelling from the holy city to Madina.

    Survivors of the crash Nasiru Anka of Anka LGA, Tafa Nasarawa Bukkuyum of Bukkuyum LGA and Garba Ziti of Gummi LGA.

    Commissioner in Charge of Health Matters, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Dr. Ibrahim Kana, revealed that the Saudi authorities called to inform the Nigerian handlers of the pilgrims of the accident.

    The deceased have been moved to the King Fahd Hospital, Madina while the survivors are currently taking treatment at a hospital near the scene of the accident, on the outskirts of Madina.

    Kana disclosed that a team of Nigerian medical team has been dispatched to Madina, on the orders of NAHCON chairman, Abdullah Mukhtar Muhammad, to liaise with Saudi authorities for necessary documentation and burial arrangements.

    The recent incident brings the number of pilgrim deaths in the holy land to 10 this year.

  • Hajj 2018: 2nd batch of Lagos pilgrims arrive Thursday

    The second batch of 310 Lagos pilgrims will be transported back to Nigeria from Saudi Arabia aboard Med-view Airline on Thursday.

    Mr Abdulrahaman Ishola, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, made this known on Thursday in Lagos.

    “The second batch of 310 pilgrims are ready to be transported back home today.

    “ We will continue to thank Allah for a successful exercise, and we pray that He accepts all our acts of worship.

    “I advise the pilgrims to obey all regulations regarding their luggage and should not carry excess luggage,” he said in a statement by Mr Jamiu Dosunmu, the board Public Relations Officer.

    Ishola also advised the pilgrims not to engage in excessive buying of goods, saying that any extra good in excess of the approved kilograms would be confiscated.

    Read Also:Hajj 2018: Nigerian pilgrim dies in elevator pit

    He urged pilgrims to take cognizance of the 32 kg and 8 kg for big and small bags given by the Air carrier and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria ( NAHCON ).

    Ishola thanked the state government for showing interests in hajj operation and for providing necessary logistics to make the operations smooth and successful.

    He reiterated the commitment of the board to ensure safe and timely arrival of Lagos pilgrims.

    Ishola assured them that arrangement had already been put in place for subsequent flights after a four day break.

    Only 2,000 pilgrims from Lagos state participated in the 2018 Hajj.

    312 of the pilgrims were earlier transported home on Tuesday.

  • Hajj 2018: Nigerian pilgrim dies in elevator pit

    …As Kaduna loses another to diabetic emergency

    Tragedy struck at the Makkah residence of Niger State pilgrims to the 2018 Hajj, when a member of the contingent (name withheld) fell to his death from a faulty lift this morning.

    Soon after the incident, the Commissioner in charge of health of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, representing the chairman of the Commission, paid a condolence visit to the bereaved contingent, urging them to take heart.

    The NAHCON boss sought Allah’s forgiveness for the deceased and fortitude for his family to bear the loss.

    According to him, immediately the tragedy was reported, NAHCON despatched medical personnel to the scene of the mishap; and after medical checks they certified the victim, dead.

    He lamented that residence managers knew that the lift had been defective for days but they made no conscious effort to seal it off and warn pilgrims to keep away from it.

    Dr. Kana said if they had taken such precautionary measures the mishap would have been averted, adding that host nation, Saudi Arabia’s authorities and security agents have intervened in the issue.

    In his response, Niger State Amirul Hajj, Abubakar Magaji, expressed gratitude for the NAHCON boss’ concerns, urging him to investigate the incident and ensure that appropriate punitive measures are taken against the blameworthy to serve as deterrence and a re-occurrence of such incident.

    In another sad incident, the Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board announced the loss of another pilgrim (name withheld), from Lere Local Government Area.

    The victim, passed away at Muna Alwadee Hospital, soon after been diagnosed by the NAHCON medical team as diabetic emergency.

  • Hajj 2018: Pilgrims return on Monday

    On Monday, August 27, the first batch of Nigerian pilgrims that performed the 2018 Hajj exercise will be airlifted back home, according to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

    The return flight will commence with pilgrims from Kogi State aboard Flynas Airline en route the country via Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NZIA) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

    This was disclosed in an official statement by NAHCON, following a meeting with Hajj carriers in Jedda, Saudi Arabia; the commission stated that the pilgrims will commence their return journey from King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah to NZIA, Abuja.

    At the conference, NAHCON and the Hajj carriers agreed on flight modalities, among other operational strategies at ensuring a hitch-free airlift of Nigerian pilgrims back to the country.

    It is expected that the return journey would be faster than the inward journey into Saudi Arabia simply over 9 per cent of the pilgrims, according to NAHCON, are ready for the airlift back home.

    Officials of the State Pilgrims Welfare Boards and FCT have been enjoined to cooperate and ensure a smooth airlift back home in accordance with the flight schedule that was given to them.

    It would be recalled that the Nation reported earlier, that NAHCON chairman, Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad, disclosed that the Kogi State contingent to the Hajj exercise will be given preference at the commencement of return flight operations.

    Muhammad made the assertion, stressing that the pilgrims from Kogi State will be the first beneficiaries of the return flight because they were the first to arrive in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj exercise.

    The first batch of 445 pilgrims from Kogi State arrived in Madinah aboard the inaugural flight for this year’s Hajj on July 21, 2018

    They were transported by Max Air to Prince Muhammad Abdullaziz International Airport, Madinah via the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.

  • Hajj: Two million Muslims converge on Mount Arafat

    NO fewer than 55,000 Nigerians were among the over two million pilgrims who converged on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia yesterday to mark the climax of this year’s pilgrimage.

    This is as millions of Muslim faithful across the globe celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir today.

    The Mount Arafat event features pilgrims’ supplication for Allah’s guidance and forgiveness.

    It also involves staying at Arafat from sunrise until sunset as a major rite of the pilgrimage.

    The News Agencyu of Nigeria (NAN) reports stated that the movement from Muna, where the pilgrims spent the night in tents, started as early as 12 midnight on Sunday. It was completed at about 6am.

    Pilgrims were camped in the tents, fully equipped with cooling system, to alleviate the high temperature which sometimes rose to 44 degrees Centigrade.

    At the inaugural movement of the pilgrims to Arafat, the Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Abdullahi Mukhtar, said the Commission commenced the movement early to reduce the harsh effect of weather on them.

    The NAHCON boss, who supervised the exercise, said its coordination and monitoring were done by committees set up by the commission.

    Pilgrims stand on the plains of Mount Arafat in supplication, praying to Almighty Allah to attain various needs in life and hereafter.

    Observing the Arafat prayers is the strongest pillar of Hajj as there is no Hajj without the Arafat.

    The Nigerian pilgrims were expected to hold a congregational national prayer session last night.

     

  • Hajj 2018: NAHCON outlaws political campaign in Mina

    Barrister Abdullah Muktar Muhammad, Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria ( NAHCON ), has read the riot act to pilgrims seeking to politicise the 2018 Hajj exercise.

    Speaking at a stakeholders’ conference on Saturday, August 18, at the Al Raqiyyah hall, Ring road, Khalidiyya 3, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Muhammad warned state officials and other operations staff to prevent pilgrims from displaying banners or embarking on political campaign of any nature during the Hajj exercise.

    According to him, such activity is frowned at by the host nation and it vitiates the essence of the spiritual activities during Hajj.

    Muhammad sounded the note of warning as the pilgrims prepare to depart to the tent city in Mina as part of the spiritual activities.

    He also advised officers of the State Pilgrims Welfare Boards and tour operators to comply with host nation, Saudi Arabia’s operational rules and regulations, and ensure that pilgrims do likewise, to guarantee a hitch-free Hajj exercise.

    Read Also: 37, 746 Nigerians among two million pilgrims on Mount Arafat

    Muhammad urged pilgrims to pray for Nigeria’s peace and stability at the forthcoming general elections, adding that from 2019, the pocket money of state-sponsored pilgrims would be remitted with their fare, to facilitate easier disbursement of the money by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    To emphasise NAHCON’s commitment to ensuring smooth operations, team leads and senior staff of the organisation highlighted steps been taken to improve the 2018 Hajj experience.

    In response, representatives of tour operators and state officials thanked Muhammad for his support and promised to cooperate with NAHCON to ensure the success of the Hajj operations.

    Also in attendance at the conference, were the Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Muhammadu Isa Dodo, the Consul General of Nigeria, Jeddah, Muh’d Sani Yunusa among others.

     

     

  • Foundation sponsors 10 to Hajj

    Ten pilgrims sponsored by the Jandor Foundation have departed for Saudi Arabia with a charge to be good ambassadors in the Holy Land.

    Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Community Affairs, Cornelius Ojelabi at a pre-departure briefing and prayers for the pilgrims held at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, said: “as you go on pilgrimage, be good ambassadors; keep to the rules. They say over there, you don’t talk anyhow so nothing bad happens to you, so please do not talk anyhow.”

    Jandor Foundation Chairman Mr Olajide AbdulAzeez Adediran, the Osolu of Erewe Kingdom Oba Abideen Durosimi, and other dignitaries also counselled the pilgrims.

    Adediran, the Chief Executive Officer of Core TV, told the pilgrims to take the exercise easy and not stress themselves before the main hajj exercise commenced.

    The trip, he said, has been fully paid for. The sponsorship includes flight, accommodation, and even the ram needed to be slaughtered.

    He even advised them to keep part of their Basic Travelling Allowance (BTA) for family needs at home.

    “This trip does not cost you a dime – up to your feeding and ram, we have provided.  You will get some cash.  My advice is that you divide the money into two – take half with you and keep some for your families so they do not go hungry while you are away,” he said.

    Adediran said it was the eighth year the foundation was sponsoring pilgrims.  He said it was not done for political reasons but as a duty to Allah.

    “A lot of people are saying we are doing this because 2019 is around the corner.  This is not politics and I am not contesting in 2019.  This is not a pre-2019 agenda,” he said.

    Adediran said the foundation hopes to sponsor 50 people to the next Hajj.

    Oba Durosimi thanked Adediran for the gesture, as well as the foundation’s other efforts in education.

    He advised the pilgrims to be appreciative by ensuring that they participated in all the exercise.  He also warned workers managing the affairs of the foundation not to do unethical things in the course of their jobs.

  • 15,694 Nigerian pilgrims now in Saudi Arabia, says NAHCON

    No fewer than 15,694 Nigerians are currently in Madinah and Makkah, Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    The pilgrims, who started arriving in the Holy Land on July 21, were transported by Max Air Limited, FLY NAS and Medview airlines in 38 flights from various destinations including Abuja, Lagos and Kano.

    The figures were provided in a NAHCON flight statistics obtained by NAN on Monday in Madinah.

    The latest flight by FLY NASS on Monday transported 218 prospective pilgrims from Kebbi to Madinah, while 2,707 of the total number of the pilgrims are already in Makkah to begin the formal Hajj rites.

    Transportation of pilgrims from the six designated airports in Nigeria continues.

    Meanwhile, officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), headed by its Madinah Coordinator, Alhaji Ahmed Maigari, on Monday returned the Basic Traveling Allowance (BTA) to a Nasarawa State pilgrim, Nuhu Musa, who lost the money.

    Musa had lost 606 dollars and N10,000 cash in his hotel accommodation; but one of the hotel workers, who found it, promptly handed it over to the management which in turn alerted the NAHCON leader.

    Maigari cautioned pilgrims against careless handling of their BTA.

    He advised them to be vigilant and careful in transacting business deals and commended the hotel workers for being honesty.

    Maigari handed over the amount to Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf, an official of Nasarawa State Pilgrims Board, who gave it to Musa.