The newly-appointed acting Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Jalal Ahmad Arabi, on today resumed at the Hajj House headquarters of the Commission in Abuja and called for support and cooperation of staff.
This is even as Arabi, who was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday to lead the Hajj body first in acting capacity till January 17, 2024 when he will serve in substantive capacity for fresh term of four years, described his appointment as a rare privilege.
Arabi, who was received at the Hajj commission on arrival some minutes after 11am in company with a former NAHCON chairman, Barrister Abdullah Mukhtar, by the outgoing chairman, Alhaji Zilkrullah Kunle Hassan, represented by his Commissioner for Policy, Personnel, Management and Finance (PPMF), Alhaji Nura Hassan Yakasai, was given a warm welcome by top management and staff.
Addressing the staff later, the acting chairman expressed gratitude to Allah for his appointment by President Tinubu, which he said was a call to join nation building.
“First, let me thank Allah who allowed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appoint me to this exalted position. It is indeed a rare privilege and it gives me all the hopes and gratitude to be able to come and join you in nation building.
“We are not the only ones in Nigeria; there are other Nigerians that equally could equally have been here but Allah in His infinite mercy had put the burden on our shoulders. I know, just like I know you know, that Allah does not put a burden on a servant beyond what the servant can handle.
“Why I said we are so privileged and lucky to be here serving the nation through the commission is to suggest that if we all reflect on one of the fundamentals of our religion, Islam, that requires much physicality more than the others is Hajj.
“So, for us it is such a privilege to come and participate in the discharge of that responsibility. Certainly, let us be the chosen ones and I feel it is an opportunity that we shouldn’t allow slip from us,” Arabi said.
While seeking cooperation of staff to achieve his mandate at the commission, the acting chairman said his administration would be based on what he called “TSA”, which he asserted was different from the conventional TSA known by all.
“I know like all establishments, we have our mission and vision. I know that of course, it is being pursued vigorously before now but certainly there is always room for improvement in whatever endeavour one find himself.
“Without prejudice to what we intend to achieve through our vision and mission, I have come with three nouns that will be so cardinal and of course will be laying on the tripod. I called them ‘TSA’ and my definition is entirely different from the TSA you know,” he said.
Arabi declared the TSA tripod upon which his leadership of NAHCON would be laid were trust, sacrifice and Allah.
“Let me start with my ‘T’: My T is trust. I know most of us, if not all, know the burden of trust and responsibility as Muslims that have been so charged to carry the trust.
“Conducting the affairs of Hajj is a trust. You may not be the best, but Allah has put it on your shoulders. It becomes a trust; it becomes a burden. We must be seen to discharge it to the nest because even if we are able to escape the eyes here, we cannot escape the big eyes there.
“The ‘S’ is sacrifice. Any person that has been entrusted with a particular responsibility has to sacrifice. Once you have the heart of sacrifice, it goes without saying that you will find the discharge of the responsibility much more easy.
“The ‘A’ is Allah. Allah knows best. He gives you a project, He knows. He knows even much than you do. If you do well with the trust and sacrifice, then there is the assumption to say Alhamdulillah I have done the best that I can.”
Expressing the hope that the staff will give him their maximum cooperation, Arabi asserted that posterity would judge everyone.
“I hope I will get the maximum cooperation from you all. It is not only for Jalal, it is not only for you individuals but it is for what posterity will judge us,” he said.
The acting chairman said the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration was unique with a view to making things better in the country and as such there had to be changes to address things that had gone bad.
While promising to reposition the commission, Arabi declared that the door would be open for any staff members who would be uncomfortable with his leadership style.
Earlier while congratulating the acting chairman on his appointment, Alhaji Nura Yakasai, said Arabi came onboard at a critical time that there was a short time for preparations for the 2024 Hajj
“We congratulate you for your appointment. The outgoing chairman would have wished to be here but due to some reasons beyond his control he couldn’t make it. But I believe he will be here in the afternoon or when he will be able to meet you.
“Apart from that, I just want to mention that you are coming in or stepping into the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria at a critical time, at the time when all the preparations for Hajj are supposed to start or have already started.
“Unfortunately, this time around the period or time given by the Saudi authorities is different from the traditional ones where we have sufficient time to do whatever we want to do or arrange but unfortunately you have a very short time.
“The assurance I will give is that you have capable staff here that can assist you to succeed and it is our hope and prayers that you succeed,” he said.
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