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Tag: NAHCON

  • Emir of Lafia to NAHCON: reduce Hajj fares

    Emir of Lafia to NAHCON: reduce Hajj fares

    The Emir of Lafia, Dr Isa Mustapha-Agwai, yesterday called on the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to reduce the fares for the 2018 Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

    The emir made the call when he received officials of Nasarawa State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board at his palace in Lafia.

    He warned that the astronomical fares being charged would deprive Muslims in the country from performing a very important religious obligation, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.

    Mustapha-Agwai advised NAHCON to engage the Presidency and Saudi authorities to reduce the fares to enable more Muslims partake in the holy pilgrimage.

    Earlier, Executive Secretary of the board, Alhaji Abubakar Nalaraba said the visit was part of state-wide advocacy to educate intending pilgrims on new innovations introduced by Saudi authorities for the Hajj.

    According to him, the introduction of taxes and other innovations raised the tentative Hajj fare from about N1 million paid in 2017 to N1.5 million.

    He said the collection of the fares would end on March 31.

    Nalaraba said intending pilgrims that succeed in completing the payment would go for bio-metric data capture in seven centres across the country, with those from the state having theirs in Abuja.

    “For now, we are instructed to receive N1.5 million; last year the total hajj fare was N1, 545, 000, but this year we are instructed to collect N1, 500, 000 from intending pilgrims pending the final approval,” he said.

  • 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.

  • NAHCON refunds N820m to 2017 pilgrims

    NAHCON refunds N820m to 2017 pilgrims

    The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) yesterday said it has released  N820,283,965 as refunds to State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Boards and agencies for 2017 Hajj operations.

    A statement by Adamu Hassan Abdullahi of the Media Relations Unit said the refund exercise will be monitored by the appropriate security agencies nationwide.

    The statement said: “The refunds consist of about N181million for pilgrims and officials of states that could not Travel for the Hajj and N209million being refundable deposits from the Ministry of Hajj.

    “It also consists of refunds for catering services not rendered or poorly rendered for which the Commission did not pay the service providers  to the tune of  N46.1million.

    ”Other refunds consist of sums for poorly rendered tent-C services, faulty cooling systems at Arafat for which the total sum of N278million was demanded and collected by the commission from the organization responsible.

    “The refunds also comprise N1.5million  for states that did not receive Zam-zam water.

    ”The refund, which was done in two batches, witnessed eleven (11) State Pilgrims Boards receiving a total of  N401,291,658.41 in December, 2017 while thirteen (13) Pilgrims Boards and Agencies received N418,992,307.77 as the second batch in 2018 after reconciliations.”

  • NAHCON refunds N33.88m to Hajj pilgrims

    NAHCON refunds N33.88m to Hajj pilgrims

    National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, ( NAHCON ) has concluded arrangements to refund the sum of N33, 883, 721.56 (14, 334.86 Riyals) to state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards for services not rendered or poorly rendered during the 2017 hajj operations, its chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Mukhtar,  has told the Senate.

    Mukhtar, stated this at a two-day public hearing by Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Accommodation, Logistics, Feeding Offshore and Onshore of Nigeria Pilgrims held in Abuja.

    He also told the committee that the commission saved $18.6million from the money paid for accommodation of pilgrims during 2016 and 2017 hajj exercises respectively.

    Mukhtar said that the Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board would get the lion share of N129, 777, 108.96 from the refund while Sokoto would get N53, 618, 806.55; Zamfara (N48, 973, 034.40); Bauchi (N47, 875, 183.40); Gombe (N22, 512, 711.89; Plateau (N15, 722, 290.40); Osun (N9, 945, 314.95); Ondo (N3, 673, 004); Delta (N970, 107.40); Abia (N483, 129.15) and Cross River which would get N313, 118.

    The chairman gave the breakdown of the amount saved for pilgrims in each state as $4.3million during the 2016 hajj operation and $14.3million in 2017.

    He explained that N373million was refunded in 2015, N500million in 2016 and N1.5billion in 2017 respectively.

    Mukhtar also said that 13, 637, 395 Riyals was savings made on Makkah accommodation during the 2017 hajj operation from all states for total allocation of 64, 351; adding that 124, 900 Riyals was paid for allocation in 2016 and 115, 595 Riyals in 2017.

    He gave the breakdown as 2, 169, 200 Riyals for 4, 930 allocation by Katsina; 2, 144, 592 Riyals for 4, 496 allocation by Zamfara; 1, 392, 750 Riyals for 5, 571 by Sokoto; 1, 084, 000 Riyals for 5, 330 allocation by Kaduna; 944, 622 Riyals for 3, 213 allocation by Bauchi; 786, 498 Riyals for 2, 789 allocations by Borno; 648, 060 Riyals for 4, 629 allocation; 621, 064 Riyals for 2, 677 allocation by Jigawa; 614, 451 Riyals for 6, 607 allocation by Kano and 551, 250 Riyals for 2, 205 allocation by Gombe, among others.

    In Madinah, the chairman said that $617 was paid for accommodation in 2016 by pilgrims from the North and $429.66 in 2017 with a difference of $187.44 while their counterparts from the South paid the same amount during the year.

    On feeding, he said Nigeria signed a memorandum of understanding, MoU with the Saudi authorities on feeding to avoid further cases of food poison and cholera by the pilgrims.

    Speaking on hajj fare, he said that the differences in the payment between pilgrims from the North and South is $10, stressing that while the Northern pilgrims paid $1, 700 in 2016 and $1, 650 in 2017 with difference of $50, their counterparts from the South paid $1, 000.63 in 2017 for Makkah accommodation with a difference of $66.70.

    Mukhtar further informed that the difference in the hajj fares between the North and South was due to the exchange rate of naira to dollar during the hajj operations.

    The chairman said that the official exchange rate was $1, 530, 385.20 (N1, 496, 220.20) at $305 rate and $1, 839, 440.52 (N1, 805, 275.52) at $368 rate at the commercial bank while it was $1, 898, 308.20 (N1, 864, 143.20) at $380 rate at parallel market respectively.

    He added that the hajj package with minimum Basic Travelling Allowance, BTA of $760 in 2017 was N1, 626, 590.32 while the package with minimum BTA of $1000 was N1, 047, 498.92 in 2016.

    He noted that the commission had some committees for monitoring of services not rendered to pilgrims from various states, saying that “it was difficult to satisfy about 185,000 pilgrims without complaints”.

    He said, “It is very difficult to satisfy human beings, but as a regulatory body, we take full responsibility (over any lapse during the 2017 hajj exercise).

    To prevent lapses, we set up various committees to monitor services not rendered to our pilgrims from various states.”

  • Buhari hails Bangladesh for rescuing Burma refugees

    Buhari hails Bangladesh for rescuing Burma refugees

    President Muhammadu Buhari has lauded Bangladesh over her assistance to persons displaced by the ongoing sectarian and ethnic crisis in Burma Rohingaya.

    President Buhari, who spoke through the Chairman National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Barrister Abdullah Mukhtar Muhammad in Makkah observed that accepting the refugees shows the Bangladeshi government’s respect for human life and dignity.

    The NAHCON boss who delivered the President’s appreciation and commendation when the Bangladeshi Counsellor on Hajj, His Excellency Muhammad Maqsudu-r-Rahman paid him a working visit yesterday at the NAHCON headquarters at Ummul Jud Makkah, said Nigeria has resolved to do everything possible to ensure stress free Hajj exercise to its pilgrims and to drastically reduce the overbearing pressure on the Kingdom.

    Hajj Management, he noted, should be a global responsibility, through an articulate policy and plan to ensure responsive conduct and behavior of all pilgrims while in the holy land to guard against stamped and all forms of discomfort not only among the pilgrims themselves but to their officials and those of the host government and it security agencies.

    Barrister Abdullah highlighted NAHCON plans to establish Hajj training Institute, formation of a twenty four hour Haram Committee to be headed by him, for next year’s Hajj, institutionalising Hajj Saving Scheme, online registration of pilgrims from next Hajj operation, perfecting the e-medical registration, recording and attending to sick pilgrims introduced this year among others.

    Barrister Abdullah who suggested that similarities and peculiarities of Nigeria and Bangladesh be effectively studied, harnessed and harmonised for the mutual benefit of the two Countries not only in the area of Hajj but in also other areas of sociocultural economic and political endeavours, also called on Bangladesh to look at the possibility of introducing wristband watches for its pilgrims, so that Nigerian pilgrims would be allowed to use theirs.

    Earlier, the Bangladeshi Counsellor on Hajj Muhammad Maqsudu-r-Rahman who appreciated the warm reception accorded him and his entourage commended the cordial relationship that exists between Nigeria and Bangladesh not only on Hajj matters but in other global engagements and fora.

    He said he was at the NAHCON office to understudy the Commission’s dexterity in Hajj management and the leadership role it plays in trying to unify Hajj affairs among all stakeholders the world over.

    The envoy said Bangladesh with a population of about one hundred and sixty five million people,  about ninety percent of whom are Muslims, had about one hundred and twenty seven pilgrims that performed the just concluded Hajj exercise.

    He said a local Carrier, Biman, airlifted fifty percent of the pilgrims while the other fifty was by a Saudi carrier.

    His Excellency Maqsudu-r-Rahman further stated that pilgrims under government umbrella paid about four thousand eight hundred dollars as Hajj fares while those on private arrangement were charged fifteen thousand dollars.

    He stated that the Bangladeshi government subsidises only aviation fuel and other navigational charges.

    Both Hajj administrators agreed that shortages of facilities and congestions witnessed this year particularly at Mashaa’ir areas were not peculiar to any Country as according to them the twenty percent quota increase this year to all nations by the Saudi authorities might have been a contributing factor to the problem.

  • Hajj: 2,700 pilgrims return in Zamfara

    Hajj: 2,700 pilgrims return in Zamfara

    No fewer than  2,700 pilgrims out of  the 4,793  that performed the 2017 Hajj exercise from Zamfara  have so far been transported back home.

    Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, the Chairman of  the  State Transportation Committee on this year’s Hajj, stated this while receiving the fifth batch  of the pilgrims at the State Camp in Gusau on Tuesday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fifth flight,  which conveyed pilgrims from Kaura-Namoda, Anka and  the remaining pilgrims from Maru and Bungudu Local Government Areas, arrived  at the Sultan Abubakar lll International Airport, Sokoto,  at 3.30 a.m.

    According to him, the pilgrims later arrived Gusau at about  10. a.m.

    Tanko, who is also the Chairman of  Gusau Local Government Council,  said the pilgrims were transported by Max Airlines, adding that all of them were in good health.

    “We are expecting the sixth flight between today and tomorrow Insha Allah; we are hoping to complete the transportation of all our pilgrims before the deadline given by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON),” he said.

    Tanko said that  the transportation exercise of this year’s hajj was moving on successfully while  the pilgrims in the state  had  behaved remarkably well during the Hajj .

    He thanked the state government, NAHCON, Max Airlines, State Amirul Hajj Committee and the media for their support.

    Tanko also thanked the State Mass Transport Service, security agencies, the Federal Road Safety Commission  and various volunteer groups for their support.

  • NAHCON begins preparations for 2018 hajj- Chairman

    NAHCON begins preparations for 2018 hajj- Chairman

    The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria(NAHCON) says it has commenced preparation for the 2018 Hajj.

    The Executive Chairman of NAHCON, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad made the disclosure at an interactive session and dinner with members of the 2017 Hajj Media Team on Thursday in Makkah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

    Muhammad said that the commission had already sent a team, headed by the Consul General, to negotiate price of accommodation in Madinah to ensure that Nigerian pilgrims are lodged close to the  Prophet Mosque.

    ” To this end, the Commission has sent a delegation to Madina to prepare ground for the negotiation of a comprehensive package for pilgrims coming for the hajj next year and their stay in the holy city of Madina.”

    He said the commission and State Pilgrims Welfare Boards have also  started mapping out strategies and modalities to have a unified accommodation system in both Makkah and Madinah next year.

    The Chairman further stated that from next Hajj, the Commission would work to simplify information gathering, sharing and dissemination amongst the states and the National Media Team.

    The NAHCON boss thanked members of the Media Team for the way they carried out their assignment and urged the members to continue to verify the veracity of any information before going to press.

    He said that the ongoing transportation of pilgrims back home had been going on smoothly without any hitch so far, adding that no fewer than 14,000 pilgrims had been transported back to Nigeria.

    He implored all Nigerians to fervently pray for the country to overcome its present trying period and a resounding good health and wisdom for leaders, particularly President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Responding, the Chairman of the Media Team, Alhaji Ubale Musa commended NAHCON for its foresight in forming the Media Team to cover the just concluded exercise.

    Musa said that the inclusion  of competent journalists in the team had ensured adequate dissemination of information on the conduct exercise.

  • Hajj 2017: FG scores NAHCON high 

    Hajj 2017: FG scores NAHCON high 

    The federal government has described as commendable the successful outcome of this year’s Hajj facilitated by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, even as it impressed on the stakeholders the need to improve on subsequent operations.

    The Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Abba Ibrahim made the commendation in a speech at the Post-Arafat Stakeholders Meeting in Makkah, in preparation for the return journey of Nigerian pilgrims, who joined millions of other Muslims in performing the just concluded Hajj exercise.

    Hajiya Hadiza, represented at the occasion by Ambassador Halliru Sodangi Shu’aib said there was a remarkable improvement this year, compared to previous years, in Hajj administration.

    According to her, the successes recorded this year should serve as a springboard for better services in the coming year.

    Speaking earlier, the Chairman National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Barrister Abdullah Muhammad Mukhtar, while attributing the success to divine intervention, however,  commended the Saudi authorities, State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, stakeholders, the pilgrims for playing their part.

    He also commended the Nigerian Embassy, Consulate and NAHCON management staff for their remarkable sense of humility and service to Allah, especially their decision to share their facilities at Masha’ir with some stranded pilgrims.

    The NAHCON boss while acknowledging the challenges of shortages of facilities to pilgrims and officials, said the Nigerian resilient and perseverance nature came to the fore and with Allah’s help and guidance the challenges were overcome, or at least minimised.

    In their separate speeches at the occasion, Commissioners of Operations, Finance and Administration, Alhaji Abdullah Saleh Modibbo and Alhaji Adebayo Yusuf, gave account of their stewardship, to include, habitable accommodation, feeding and transportation which Nigerian pilgrims never had it so good in the past,  like this year, and now the timely release of the scheduled flights of all the air carriers to ensure a smooth and hitch free airlift of pilgrims back to Nigeria.

    States Welfare Boards spokesperson Alhaji Abu Rimi who also gave thumbs up to NAHCON for this year’s Hajj arrangements, however, advised that some critical aspects, such as Glucometers should be sufficiently available in future Hajj operations.

    The Air carries representative and Managing Director of MedView Airline, Alhaji Munnir Bankole has hinted that the return journey was the most challenging aspect of the airlift exercise.

    He therefore, advised that state pilgrims officials should ensure that any set of pilgrims for the next flight should be made ready seventy two hours before their departure time.

    Tour operators decried the unpleasant challenges they faced this year, which were somehow tackled but had left a bitter taste in the mouth that required going back to the drawing board to take stock and map out strategies against reoccurrence.

    It could be recalled that the homeward journey is expected to start from tomorrow with the movement of Gombe State pilgrims to King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah for take off on Thursday, September the seventh.

    Meanwhile, to ensure a smooth operation of next year’s Hajj, NAHCON has since constituted a technical working committee with the mandate to secure halls of residence among others.

    Barr. Mukhtar who gave this hint said, this was inevitable in the interest of the pilgrims.

  • Hajj : No state can surpass Lagos, says NAHCON

    Hajj : No state can surpass Lagos, says NAHCON

    Lagos State maintained her ‘Centre of Excellence’ status when the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) inspection team stormed the state’s pilgrims’ tent in Mina, Saudi Arabia at the weekend.

    NAHCON officials, led by Commissioner for Operations Alhaji Abdullahi Saleh, said they were impressed by the pilgrims’ comportment and perseverance despite the overcrowding caused by shortages of tents in the city.

    In Mina, 2,332 Lagos pilgrims were allocated tents meant for less than 1,400 persons.

    The NAHCON team also marvelled at the facilities provided by the Lagos State Government for its pilgrims in Mina. They said the quality accommodation, indigenous food and the general welfare of pilgrims were incomparable and commendable.

    One of the team members told The Nation in confidence that “no state in the country can surpass the Lagos State Government in many areas especially welfare.”

    Other members of the team nodded their heads and declared Lagos as the best.

    Last year, the Lagos State Government carted seven out of the eight awards on hajj operations.

    The awards were received by Deputy Governor Dr Idiat Adebule at Alausa in company of Home Affairs Commissioner and Amirul Hajj, Dr AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef.

    Saleh congratulated Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board for provision of standard facilities during the hajj and urged pilgrims to pray for the leadership of the board.

    Another NAHCON official, Hajia Aisha Muhammad, said: “We have always been proud of Lagos State in the way they have assisted their pilgrims in terms of food, accommodation and their welfare, and of course their regular standard enlightenment programmes.

    “I want to appeal to pilgrims not to spend their money on gifts to take back home, so that they don’t get stranded. Again be mindful of the weight of the luggage you can carry on the flight, bearing in mind that the big bag is 32kg while the small bag is eight (8)kg. Anything above that will not be tolerated. This directive is neither from the Commission nor the Board. It is from the Saudi Authority. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you that they can wave it. We on our part are happy with Lagos State and on behalf of the Commission, we commend your efforts,” she said.

    Dr AbdulLateef explained that the feat recorded by the state was due to unwavering support of Governor Ambode, who he said is passionate about the welfare and safety of Lagosians wherever they are.

    “Our pilgrims in appreciating the governor’s gesture held special prayers for him, his deputy, Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and President Muhammadu Buhari at Arafah,” he said.

    He urged NAHCON to ensure that adequate space that would accommodate the state’s pilgrims is provided in subsequent hajj operations.

  • Saudi authorities hail Nigeria’s Hajj management 

    Saudi authorities hail Nigeria’s Hajj management 

    Saudi Arabia government has voted Nigeria’s hajj operations as one of the best the world over.

    This commendation is coming just as the country has been ranked second after Pakistan in the area of its health management.

    Confirming this development, the Commissioner in Charge of health, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Dr. Ibrahim Kana who spoke with some newsmen in Arafat,said this fit was one of the reasons the Saudi Health Ministry sighted in the award of certificate of merit and commendation to the Nigerian Hajj Commission.

    According to the Commissioner Nigeria made an impression on the Saudi authorities based on the  comprehensive, orderly manner and centralisation of health matters introduced this year by NAHCON,  as against the haphazard and disarray manner of the past years.

    Interestingly, he said, the Saudi Health Ministry has invited him to a meeting scheduled for next week to see how Nigeria’s experience will assist in the realisation of the Kingdom’s plan of computerising pilgrims health and medical matters while on Hajj or Umrah.

    Dr. Kana maintained that NAHCON, would ensure proper and comprehensive health services delivery to pilgrims.

    It could be recalled that, Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, became the first in Africa and second to India to computerise hajj affairs while the Chairman of NAHCON, Barrister Abdullah Muhammad Mukhtar was the Executive Secretary of the Board.