As part of efforts aimed at ensuring seamless Hajj operations this year, the Chairman and CEO of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi, led a delegation of the Hajj body on a visit to the headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Abuja on Thursday to secure passport availability for intending pilgrims in preparation for the year’s Hajj.
Speaking during the visit, while describing the NIS as a partner in NAHCON’s mandate, Arabi recognised the significance of passport usage in fulfilling the mandate.
According to a press release signed by NAHCON Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, made available to Tribune Online, Arabi called on the Immigration Service to assign a desk officer to every state pilgrims’ welfare board in order to attend to any issues that would arise immediately.
The chairman said this became imperative as Saudi Arabia had set timelines for each activity leading to this year’s Hajj; hence, NAHCON could not afford to lag.
Responding, the Comptroller General of Immigration, Mrs. Adepoju Caroline Wura-ola, assured that NIS is always ready to render services to NAHCON round the clock in the interest of the country.
Represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of the Human Resources Management Directorate, DCG Usman Babangida, the CG assured that the Service would make it a priority to address issues raised by NAHCON as critical stakeholders in their operations.
DCG Babangida and his team members, especially ACG A. R. Sabo, in charge of passports, therefore gave their telephone numbers for immediate contact whenever there were problems.
In another development, Usara informed us that the NAHCON boss also visited the office of Galaxy Backbone (GBB), the commission’s ICT service provider, on Thursday to consolidate the service provision.
The visit, she stated, was in the aftermath of the recent network downtime that stalled access to the National Medical Team advertisement released on Wednesday.
“The visit today, February 8, 2024, aimed to inform GBB management about the anticipated surge in traffic in preparation for the season’s Hajj, especially with relation to application portals.
“The visit was to ensure proactive measures are taken to prevent any disruption in connectivity as preparations heat up,” she stated.
According to her, while highlighting the critical role of ICT in NAHCON’s operations, Arabi emphasised that over 70% of the Commission’s engagements rely on digital systems, particularly in light of Saudi Arabia’s digital shift.
He stressed the need for NAHCON to stay ahead and urged GBB to prevent bandwidth overload for seamless accessibility.
The chairman highlighted to GBB management the time constraint NAHCON has found itself in, which has put it in a tight corner and, as such, has the little option of tolerating hitches that would affect meeting deadlines.
In his response, the acting managing director of GBB, Abdulmalik Suleiman, agreed with Arabi, expressing the fact that Galaxy Backbone is up to the task.
He reaffirmed NAHCON’s status as a premium customer and a representative of Nigeria’s international image in foreign fields; therefore, care must be taken in such circumstances.
Suleiman made a commitment to elevate GBB’s services to the Commission to prevent downtime on the NAHCON portal and promote seamless operations.
The MD assured that the data centre is secured and runs uninterrupted, adding that “it is resilient against cyber threats.”
He then promised a comprehensive review of all services to maintain constant accessibility to NAHCON’s website.
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