The last may yet be heard on the controversies surrounding the handling of this year’s Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the Association for Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHOUN) on Saturday told the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to stop blaming its members for what it described as the commission’s perpetual failures to deliver smooth and hitch-free Hajj for Nigerian pilgrims year in year out.
There have been outcries on the treatments meted out to very important personalities at Tent A (VIP Tent) in Muna, leading to calls for the decentralization of NAHCON by dignitaries, including Niger State governor, Umar Bago, as well as how the N90 billion subsidy approved by President Bola Tinubu was spent on this year’s Hajj.
Reacting to some issues raised by NAHCON Chairman/CEO, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi, at a world press conference in Abuja last Monday, AHOUN in a press release signed by its National President and General Secretary, Abdullateef Yusuf Ekundayo and Muhammad Nasir Chamo, respectively, made available to Tribune Online, called on the leadership of the Hajj commission to stop blaming its private tour operators for its (NAHCON) failures.
According to the Association, it could not continue to watch as members’ legitimate investments were being rubbished and made scapegoats by NAHCON.
It then called on the National Assembly to investigate NAHCON on issues relating to the 2024 Hajj as well as management of Hajj in Nigeria as part of its oversight function.
According to AHOUN, “We can’t continue to watch our huge and legitimate investments being rubbished and made scapegoats every year by an organisation that by law should support our members to deliver the right services to Nigerian pilgrims.
“We therefore call upon the leadership of the National Assembly as part of their oversight functions, to investigate further, beyond the cosmetic ‘world press conference’ on these and other issues relating to the management of hajj in Nigeria.
“We would also like to call on the NAHCON leadership to look inward and stop looking away and blaming our members for their perpetual failures to deliver smooth and hitch-free hajj for the Nigerians pilgrim, year in year out. ‘A stitch in time save nine’.”
The body stated that Nigerian pilgrims that performed this year’s on the platform of its members did not benefit from the Federal Government’s N90 billion subsidy for the exercise despite many promises by NAHCON that its pilgrims would be considered in any concession received from the government.
For the record, we have never doubted or challenged the statutory right of NAHCON as the umpire in affairs of Hajj and Umrah in Nigeria. However, when an umpire decides to become an active player in any game, conflict of interest will set in and everything to do with fairness, rectitude, and transparency comes into question.
“First, we would like Nigerians to know that none of the international pilgrims received a dime out of the N90bn graciously approved and released as subsidy to ease the burden of the high exchange rate, despite many promises by the commission that our pilgrims will be considered in any concession that is received from the government.
“For the past 8 years, (with exception of the post-COVID-19, Hajj), the Ministry of Hajj of Saudi Arabia allocates 20,000 slots for the Nigeria Private Tour Operators (International) which AHOUN represents and 75, 000 to the conventional pilgrims.
“This year about 14,000 pilgrims performed the hajj exercise through the international segment. But we repeat, none of our members benefited from the N90 billion that NAHCON claimed to have distributed to Nigerian pilgrims despite our demands.
“Are the international pilgrims not Nigerians? We’re determined to continue to ask for the share of these funds from the federal government for our Nigerian pilgrims,” it stated.
The Association further stated that NAHCON tried to exonerate itself from any wrongdoing in what happened at Muna regarding Tent A and painted its members as the culprits.
It alleged that NAHCON singlehandedly selected service providers for this year’s Hajj without the involvement of AHOUN members in the negotiations and provision of services, including accommodation, feeding, tents, and transportation.
“Another misleading information that directly affected our members was the unfortunate and avoidable incident at Tent A (VIP Tent) in Muna, where Nigerian dignitaries were subjected to myriads of harassment and disgrace.
“The Commission tried to exonerate itself from wrongdoing in the incident and our members were painted as the culprits as they always wanted Nigerians to view Tour Operators as those responsible for their failure.
“The NAHCON narrative was self-serving propaganda. The commission singlehandedly selected and appointed all the service providers for the 2024 Hajj which included pilgrim’s accommodation providers, feedings, tents, and transportation services among others.
“None of our members or association participated in the negotiation or delivery of these important services.
“This is despite the fact that we had an alternative service provider, which was supported by 85% of our members, but NAHCON insisted on 100% membership support before it can consent to any change of service provider, this is an impossible demand in any human association of diverse background,” AHOUN stated.
While challenging NAHCON to name your operators involved in Tent A racketeering at Muna, AHOUN stated that it would not continue to stand and watch the commission, which was supposed to promote transparency, good ethics, and discipline in the management of Hajj in Nigeria conniving to deprive unsuspecting pilgrims of their right to efficient and stress-free hajj every year.
According to it, “As regards the Tent A debacle, under normal practice, our members are responsible for the purchase of the VIP tent on behalf of pilgrims through the Hajj e-track.
“This year, it was on record that 27 companies purchased Tent A service on behalf of 616 pilgrims only, on the hajj e-track portal.
“However, NAHCON through their accomplices at the service provider’s office created additional off-the-record tents outside the e-track system that were purchased and paid for in cash, a day to the beginning of hajj rites.
“The commission should tell Nigerians how many pilgrims participated in the Tent A services and from where those large numbers of pilgrims got their visas, and access permits to the VIP camps. It is, therefore, an unfounded allegation to blackmail our members as the culprits on the issue.
“We dare to ask the Commission that collected $100 service charge on each of our pilgrims (total about $1,400,000.00 amounting to over N2 billion and will not liaise with the service provider to ensure that service paid for is delivered fully to our Nigerian pilgrims.”
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