The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has cautioned tour operators against derailing preparations for the 2025 Hajj.
The Association for Hajj and Umrah Operators in Nigeria (AHOUN) recently instructed their members to suspend participation in 2025 Hajj.
AHOUN on Friday announced the suspension of activities related to 2025 hajj due to the failure of NAHCON) to pay some refunds to its members.
President of AHOUN, AbdulLateef Yusuff Ekundayo, in a statement said the decision was made after its NEC met with its Board of Trustees (BoT), agreeing that the action is necessary to ensure that all its requests before NAHCON are duly met, “especially our accumulated refunds over the years.”
“It is with a deep sense of responsibility that we write to issue this directive that all actions with respect to the Hajj 2025 preparation be suspended until further notice,” it said.
But NAHCON’s spokesperson, Fatima Usara in a statement, Friday, explained that while the commission acknowledged the issues raised regarding accumulated refunds, she clarified that NAHCON has been in continuous communication with AHOUN on the matter and remains committed to addressing all legitimate concerns.
Usara blamed the delay in resolving the financial issues on the “complexities of Hajj operations, which involve multiple stakeholders both locally and internationally, including Saudi authorities.”
She assured AHOUN and the general public that the Commission has no intention of downplaying or neglecting the issue of refunds.
“On 24th September 2024, NAHCON communicated with AHOUN regarding the urgency of aligning with the Saudi Hajj calendar to avoid disruptions in the 2025 Hajj preparations, a position we still maintain as critical,” she said.
“Recently, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah directed that only 20 lead companies would organize Hajj from Nigeria for ease of coordination and proper regulation. However, in good faith, NAHCON has agreed to mergers and consolidation to give all interested parties an opportunity to remain in business but with the interest of serving pilgrims satisfactorily in mind.
“Thus, as regulators, NAHCON strongly believes that open dialogue and continued collaboration are the best ways to resolve these matters without causing unnecessary disruptions that could affect the pilgrims and operators alike. NAHCON remains open to further discussions with AHOUN to iron out any lingering concerns and work towards a swift resolution.”
The commission advised AHOUN leadership and its members to allow ongoing arrangements to yield the desired results without impeding the timely planning of the 2025 Hajj operations, adding that “this is in the best interest of all parties involved because with or without AHUON, Arafat will still hold.
