GIVEN the delay in announcing the commencement of pilgrims’ registration by some states’ Muslim pilgrims welfare boards and agencies, the Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), an organisation that reports and monitors hajj and umrah activities, has called on state governors to accord hajj issues priority attention.
In a statement signed by its national coordinator, Ibrahim Mohammed, the IHR expressed concern that a number of states were yet to kick-start the registration exercise despite having received the directive from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in August for states to begin registration.
The organisation said it was aware that some executive secretaries of Muslim pilgrims welfare boards were yet to submit the 2024 hajj reports to their governors, as a result of which they were yet to get approval to start pilgrims’ registration from their chief executives.’
The IHR expressed concern that some states are yet to start registration even when they were expected to remit the first tranche of pilgrims’ deposits to NAHCON starting from 2 October, 2024 (according to the NAHCON 2025 hajj calendar) for onward transfer to the Saudi-based service providers to pay for tent spaces in Mina.
“That the states’ Muslim pilgrims welfare boards will need a separate approval from state governors to start pilgrims’ registration even after being given permission by the apex hajj regulatory body is a peculiar procedural headache for the hajj industry that requires immediate solutions,” the organisation noted.
It said: “It is necessary to note that the Saudi Ministry of Hajj had on 23rd October began allocating tent spaces to hajj participating countries that had made payments.
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“Any executive secretaries of states’ Muslim pilgrims welfare boards who have not submitted their 2024 hajj report four months after 2024 hajj should be removed and replaced with a more competent person.”
The IHR told governors that delay in starting pilgrims’ registration is one of the causes of poor services experienced yearly Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
“Late registration gives birth to late remittances of pilgrims’ registration fund to NAHCON, which affects the commission’s ability to make payments to Saudi-based service providers as at when due to enable them to make adequate preparations to provide efficient services to our dear pilgrims.
“Administrative bureaucracies in states are causing serious disruptions to the implementation of the hajj calendar and something needs to be done to tinker with the NAHCON Establishment Act 2006 to allow pilgrims from states to start early registration without having to wait for the approval of state chief executives.
“Hajj is a global affair in which over 162 participating countries are expected to implement a uniform calendar yearly as released by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj to serve as a guide for hajj preparations,” the organisation stated.
