THE Senate, on Thursday, confirmed the appointment of Alhaji Dhikirullahi Hassan as the chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
The appointments of 18 other members of the board of the commission were also ratified by the Senate.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in December 2019 named Hassan, from Osun State, as the new chairman of NAHCON.
He also announced the appointment of the 18 other citizens from across the country as members of the commission.
Hassan succeeds Alhaji Abdullah Mukhtar Muhammad who had been in the saddle for more than eight years.
During his screening on Wednesday in Abuja by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hassan had promised to make the performance of hajj easier and cheaper for Muslims in the country.
He stated there was the need for a downward review of the current hajj fares in the interest of the not-so-rich Nigerians who wish to perform the holy pilgrimage.
Hassan promised to sustain the achievements of his predecessor and also look at areas that require improvement.
One of the key demands that will be looked into, according to him, is ensuring that hajj fares are reduced to affordable rates, “because as it is today, not many Nigerians can afford them.”
To assist more willing Nigerians in performing the annual ritual, he also said a savings scheme, which is a brainchild of the outgoing chairman, would be executed to make the payment of the fares easier for intending pilgrims.
Besides looking at the ways of making the fares affordable, Hassan promised to ensure that the number of days spent in Saudi Arabia by Nigerians during pilgrimage is reduced.
He said given its status as the country with the fifth largest number of pilgrims in the world, Nigeria would have an international training institute on hajj matters under his leadership.
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Adamu Bulkachuwa, congratulated the appointees and commended the outgoing chairman, Muhammad, for turning NAHCON into a viable and independent establishment.
Senator Bulkachuwa called on Muhammad to consider himself as a NAHCON member for life and not to turn his back on the commission for service and advice.
Members of Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs present during the screening were Senators Ibikunle Amosun, Sahabi Ya’u and James Manager.
Fielding questions from newsmen after the screening, the outgoing NAHCON chairman described his successor as capable and well experienced in hajj administration.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his foresight and admonished the incoming board to commence work on 2020 hajj immediately.
He prayed Allah to assist the board members in the discharge of their duties.