Remit complete Hajj fares in 48 hours – NAHCON Chairman
The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, has set a deadline of Friday, April 28th for the remittance of 2023 Hajj fares by boards, agencies, and commissions of State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare managers.
This directive was conveyed in a press release signed by Fatima Sanda Usara, Assistant Director of Public Affairs at NAHCON.
The announcement was made on April 26th during a decisive and lengthy meeting with Chief Executives of State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, Agencies, and Commissions at the Hajj House headquarters of NAHCON.
The meeting aimed to address critical issues related to the remittance of Hajj fares by pilgrims and to finalize the number of eligible enrollees for the 2023 Hajj from Nigeria. This determination would dictate the figures with which agreements with airlines would be signed.
According to Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, the Commission would be glad to work with any amount remitted by the Friday deadline and would subsequently sign agreements for the 2023 airlift to Saudi Arabia based on that number.
He explained that a 50% down payment to the air carriers is expected upon signing of the agreement, while another 35% would follow after deployment of aircraft for the airlift by the carriers.
The highest-ranking officer at NAHCON lamented that the remittance had taken so long, bearing in mind that all other arrangements depend on the confirmed number of Hajj fare payers before conclusion.
It should be recalled that the deadline for Hajj fare remittance had been extended several times since January 2023.
In another development, the Commissioner for Planning, Research, Statistics, and Library Studies, Prince Sheikh Suleman Momoh, revealed that the screening of the first batch of medical personnel for the 2023 Hajj will be held tomorrow, Thursday, April 27th.
Orientation and other ceremonies will follow after confirmation of successful candidates.