2022 Hajj assessment, award committee submits report to NAHCON Chairman as Yobe, Kaduna, Lagos emerge top 3 on honours list
The Assessment and Award Committee for 2022 Hajj on September 21, 2022, submitted its report to the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, with Yobe, Kaduna and Lagos states adjudged as deserving awards of excellence.
This was made known by the Assistant Director, Public Affairs, NAHCON, Fatima Sanda Usara.
Recall that the Committee was inaugurated on Thursday 16th June 2022 before the Hajj exercise with a submission timeline after Hajj.
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Among its mandate is the task of monitoring the States Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards (SMPWBs) to identify those that excelled in service delivery to its pilgrims and score each accordingly.
In particular, the Committee was tasked to:
- Assess and determine each state’s performance level in terms of preparations before and during the conduct of the 2022 Hajj.
- Grade the performance of each state accordingly on all indices identified by the committee.
- Recommend to NAHCON those who deserve to be awarded.
- Collate information about the work structure of each state.
From the record of the scores, Yobe State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board came first with 117 points out of 130 cumulative points, followed by Kaduna with 115 points and Lagos with 114 points.
While receiving the report, Chairman of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan disclosed that members of the Committee were carefully selected from among veterans of the Hajj industry in Nigeria and renowned persons of integrity.
He, therefore, expressed confidence in the outcome of their assignment, stating that they represent the cream of the Hajj industry in Nigeria, some of whom will be engaged to lecture in the Hajj Training Institute being people of diverse knowledge in the Hajj industry.
Hassan disclosed that NAHCON will organise its customary award ceremony where each state will be celebrated accordingly.
Alhaji Suleiman Usman is Chairman of the Assessment and Award Committee for 2022 Hajj, a two-time Executive Secretary of Jigawa State before moving to the federal level as Director, Planning Research, Statistics and Library Services (PRSLS); a cadre from which he retired from NAHCON.
Other members of the committee include Alhaji Abu Rimi, former E.S Katsina SMPWB, Alhaji Abba Yakubu, former ES, Kano SMPWB; Alhaji Yusuf Muhammad Mukhtar Bako, former ES Edo State; Alhaji Zikrullah Alawo, former ES Osun state; Imam Hussein Tsoho Ikara, former Overseer, Kaduna SMPWB; Alhaji Okoya Muftau, Hajj Veteran from Lagos; Amb. Munir Liman, former Nigerian representative in Saudi Arabia; Alhaji Uba Mana, former Director Media, NAHCON; Barr. Dauda Sanusi, Hajj veteran from Abuja; Alhaji Aminu Kasba, Hajj veteran from Benin; Alhaji Turaki Aliyu, National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies and veteran in the Hajj industry. The latter serves as Secretary of the Committee.
In his remarks during the submission of the report, the Committee Chairman, Alhaji Usman explained that the SMPWBs was assessed in 27 different areas; indices which the assessment team selected from the Annual Hajj Calendar of the event as a guide. They measured compliance to the expected milestones in the calendar and awarded marks accordingly. They also measured official structures, facilities, discipline, and effective use of the organizational structures and facilities.
Furthermore, he stated that data were collated from security surveys, interviews with pilgrims, and Non-Governmental Organisations present on the field during onshore operations. Other methods of data gathering were collective observations by the team members, consultation with staff and visits to various pilgrims’ accommodations. The team also measured consistency in attending Hajj preparatory meetings called by the Hajj apex body in Nigeria, NAHCON.
It also assessed the time of remittance of Hajj fare, quality of suitcases, BTA processing, and compliance with Muna outing regulations among others. Finally, the team consulted records and assessments made by groups with similar functions and to its pleasant discovery, the perceptions tallied.
Commending the Committee for doing a thorough job, Commissioner of Operations, Alhaji Magaji Hardawa also prayed to the Almighty to reward them for their painstaking effort. He eulogised the Committee describing it as the first of its kind. He prayed that the result would be beneficial to the entire Muslim Ummah in terms of gingering better output from all industry players.
