National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has given Friday, April 28, 2023 as deadline for complete Hajj fares remittance by boards, agencies and commissions of State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare managers.
Chairman of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan gave the ultimatum on Wednesday during a decisive and marathon meeting with the Chief Executives of State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, Agencies and Commissions in Abuja.
The meeting, according to a statement by the NAHCON’s Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Hajiya Fatima Sanda Usara, was to address critical issues hinging on remittances of Hajj fare by intending pilgrims in order to finalize on number of eligible enrollees for the 2023 Hajj from Nigeria, adding that this would determine the figures with which to sign agreements with airlines.
Hassan declared that the commission would gladly work with any amount remitted by Friday deadline and subsequently sign agreements for the 2023 airlift to Saudi Arabia based on that number of those who complied with the directive.
He explained that “50% down payment to the air carriers is expected upon signing of agreement while another 35% would follow after deployment of aircraft for the airlift by the carriers.”
The chairman lamented that the remittance had to take this long bearing in mind that all other arrangements depend on the confirmed number of Hajj fare payers before arriving at any conclusion.
It would be recalled that deadline for Hajj fare remittance had been extended on several occasions since January 2023.
In another development, the Commissioner of Planning, Research, Statistics and Library Studies, Prince Sheikh Suleman Momoh has revealed that screening of first batch of medical personnel for the 2023 Hajj will hold on Thursday, April 27 while the orientation and other ceremonies would follow after confirmation of successful candidates.