* Photo: Alhaji Hassan, Chairman/CEO (right in white face cap) during his visit to pilgrims tents at Muna Thursday night *
President Bola Ahmad Tinubu has congratulated Nigerian pilgrims for successfully carrying out all the fundamental rites of the Hajj exercise for this year.
Delivering the President’s congratulatory message to the pilgrims, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Yahaya Lawal said the president called on pilgrims to pray for peace, stability, progress and development of Nigeria.
Ambassador Yahaya Lawal who said that the president has been fully briefed about the commendable conduct of pilgrims in the holy land, enjoined them to maintain the conduct and remain obedient, law abiding till the end.
Speaking during the tour of some states on the plains of Muna as Sallah visits and greetings, Thursday evening, the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan commended the pilgrims for their perseverance on the inadequate tents and poor feeding services they contended with on arrival at Muna on Monday.
He reminded the pilgrims that pilgrimage has always been a test and trial for anyone that embarks on it, hence the need for patience and perseverance, which he commended the pilgrims for exhibiting such qualities during the hardships they encountered from Monday on the plains of Muna.
Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan said hardships and unpleasantries cannot completely be ruled out on any Hajj exercise, but only mitigated, which NAHCON had all this while been steadfast and unwavering to ensure some relief for the pilgrims.
During this visit, the NAHCON Chairman made it clear to the pilgrims that NAHCON was not at all responsible for the provision of any services to the Pilgrims at the Masha’er.
He stated that throughout the Pilgrims’ staying at Muna & Arafat, the company of Mutawwif is responsible for the rendering of the entire services of tent provision, bedding, air conditioning, water supply, electricity, feeding/catering, cleaning and waste management.
The Chairman said every Hajj operation is an experiment that throws up new challenges that would be reviewed, steps and measures taken to guard against reoccurrence.
Speaking during the tour of the States visited, some pilgrims who complained about the poor services and other challenges, nonetheless commended NAHCON over the successful airlift of pilgrims to the holy land and prayed that the return journey would equally be a success.
Nigerian Consule-General in Jeddah, Board members of NAHCON, senior management staff of the Commission were on the entourage of the Ambassador and the NAHCON Chairman on the tour.
