In search of succour for Nigerian pilgrims

THE narrative of this year’s Hajj has started to be written with the inauguration of the fourth Board of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on 13 February, 2020.

The inauguration of the 16-member board had been repeatedly delayed due to the Senate’s December recess and administration of the letter of appointment from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan-led board has since its inauguration left no one in doubt about its policy direction and how it expects to leave indelible positive marks in the annals of the commission – like the past two boards.

Giving a clue into his intention, the Chairman/CEO, Alhaji Hassan, during his confirmation hearing on the floor of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that his main focus would be on how to bring down the cost of hajj to make it more affordable and accessible for the majority of the members of the Muslim ummah.

He reiterated this in his speech while taking the baton from his predecessor, Alhaji Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad, during the handing over ceremony, that his management board would pursue a reduction of the hajj fare beginning from this year.

“We have always understood that when times change, so must we, that the new time requires new response to new challenges.” …So, we must harness new ideas to reduce the cost of hajj so that we can empower and enable the majority of the Muslim faithful to hearken to the divine obligation and call. It is indeed imperative and important for us to thread this path. It is a hard choice we have to make. “

“I understand that the path towards achieving this feat will be long and may be difficult, but we cannot resist this transition. We must and I’m ready to lead it,” Hassan said.

This was music to the ears of many Nigerian Muslims, especially against the backdrop of spiral fare increment every year. It should be noted that for some years now, the issue of skyrocketing cost of hajj has become a subject of controversy in which majority of contributors often pass a negative verdict on the commission, even though most of the components of the fare are fixed by the Saudi authorities.

But the new board is determined to plot a route past the wall. In the quest to achieve this objective, the chairman, Alhaji Hassan and his executive members are on the wheel with the representatives of the presidency, the National Assembly and officials of the states’ pilgrims welfare boards, agencies and commissions to Saudi Arabia with a view to persuading the Saudi service providers to bring down the cost their services.

This may seem a herculean task, especially against the backdrop of the fact that the former board had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with some of the providers as early as December 2019 and in some cases initial payments already made.

Notwithstanding, Alhaji Hassan believes that if  outright reduction can’t be achieved this time, at least a statement of intent and signal would have been made that it wouldn’t be business as usual. According to him, with a bit of consistency, they will be able to persuade the providers to slash some of the costs.

Giving further vent to his inaugural speech, Alhaji Hassan, while performing his first assignment at the helm, restated his commitment to bringing down the cost of hajj, which forms part of his promise.

“I don’t want to be seen as making campaign promises like the politicians. We are resolute that the current hajj fare has to come down. It is the expectation of the Muslim ummah. While I won’t deceive myself that that it will be easy, I am also optimistic and determined to achieve that without comprising the standard and quality of services. Our focus is to get good price; we aren’t going to take last year’s price,” he stated.

Another goal being pursued by the new NAHCON board is the issue of the number of days spent by pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and hours spent at various departure centres at Nigeria and Jeddah airports. For some time now, the number of days spent by pilgrims had ranged between 35 and 40 days. In fact, this has become an asterisk in the storied tenure of the commission. The new board says it will find a breakthrough and plot a route pass it. Perhaps the moment might simply have arrived

The reduction in the number of days is expected to also slash the cost of feeding pilgrims for the duration of the hajj exercise.

But these goals and other lofty dreams cannot be accomplished or brought into reality for the Muslim ummah without the team bonding of the management of the commission as well as the stakeholders in the hajj industry in the country.

This much was emphasised at the inauguration of the members of the accommodation and catering services inspection team to Saudi Arabia where Hassan appealed to the staff members to be wary of being tempted to compromise the intention of the board.

According to him, “temptations will come your way but I plead that you do not give in to this else we would have betrayed the trust placed in us by the pilgrims. Each and every one of us must be committed to achieving this. I know that with sincerity and commitment from all of us, we shall achieve that goal.”

Ubandawaki is of the Information and Publication Division of NAHCON.