As part of its final preparations for the 2023 Hajj, an advance team of 31 National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) officials, on Sunday, departed from the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This is even as members of the advanced team were urged to take their job seriously to identify the best goals and methods to achieve success in their assignments.
The team made up of 21 NAHCON officials and 10 medical personnel departed for Saudi Arabia, is expected to make final arrangements for the arrival of the first set of Nigerian intending pilgrims from Nassarawa State who will be arriving in the Kingdom on Thursday, May 25 for the spiritual exercise.
Led by NAHCON Deputy Director, Training, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, the team is to organise and coordinate the reception, accommodation, feeding and transportation, health and general welfare of the pilgrims in the Holy Land throughout the Hajj period.
Speaking at a brief farewell ceremony for the team at the Hajj House in Abuja before their departure, NAHCON Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, enjoined members to take the responsibilities they are saddled with seriously.
According to Hassan, Hajj was a global issue aimed at establishing unity among the Ummah and enjoined the officials to identify the best goals and methods to achieve success in their assignments which is for the pilgrims to enjoy value for money and obtain Hajj Mabrur.
“You must be diligent, committed, vigilant and particularly, you must have patience and act in the right manner at all times, so that in the end, you can achieve the benefit of here and the hereafter,” the chairman said.
Hassan said that in spite of the challenge posed by the Sudan crises, NAHCON was able to fulfil its promise and was on course to ensure that the inaugural flight set for May 25 remained sacrosanct.
He prayed to the Almighty Allah to assist the commission in making this year’s Hajj the best experience for it and the Muslim Ummah.
Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner in charge of Policy, Personnel, Management and Finance (PPMF), Alhaji Nura Hassan Yakasai, described the event as epoch, stressing that it marked the beginning of 2023 Hajj operations.
According to Yakasai, the advance team was the foundation on which the success of this year’s Hajj would be built, submitting that, “if it is very strong, then the rest of the structure will be solid.
“Therefore, I want to enjoin you to discharge your duties with utmost sense of responsibility and I want to assure you of the commission’s support for your team to achieve the desired objectives.”
On his part, the Commissioner in charge of Planning, Research, Statistics and Library Services (PRSILS), Sheikh Suleiman Momoh, enjoined the team members to pray for the success of the Hajj exercise when they get to the Holy Land
“I just have one request for you and that is, when you get to Madina, please go and pray for the success of this year’s Hajj,” Momoh told the team.
Responding on behalf of the team, Alhaji Tajudeen Akande and Dr. Galadima expressed appreciation to the management for the trust and confidence reposed in them and assured of their determination and readiness to make this year’s Hajj more successful that previous years.
“On behalf of the team, I want to thank the management for the support extended to us. We will put in our best to ensure we achieve success,” Akande said.
