MUSWEN commends NAHCON team on successful Hajj 2022, supports other initiatives

The leadership of Muslim Ummah of South West of Nigeria (MUSWEN), the umbrella body of Muslims from the Southwest region, has commended the Chairman of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, for a successful 2022 Hajj operations.

MUSWEN President, Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, who led the three-man delegation to Hajj House, Abuja, on Wednesday, for the courtesy visit, also praised the commissioners and directors of the commission, saying that the success achieved by the chairman wouldn’t have been possible without their unflinching support.

“We’re here today on a courtesy visit to commend the chairman, commissioners and directors of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria for a successful Hajj operations in 2022.

“We align with the Commission on the introduction of the Hajj Savings Scheme. We also laud the establishment of the Hajj Institute, which is the first in Africa. We’re proud of you,” Alhaji Oladejo said in his welcome speech.

The leader of the MUSWEN delegation emphasised that the Institute is necessary to educate and train operators and service providers in the Hajj and Umrah industry to professionalise the services enjoyed by pilgrims.

Alhaji Oladejo further called on the NAHCON boss for uniformity in regulations and sanctions against defaulters which he stated, would help sanitise the industry.

Earlier, in his welcome speech, NAHCON chairman expressed delight at the visit. While acknowledging the emergency nature and challenges of this year’s Hajj, he stated that it was a learning curve for the commission and further announced that it would commence preparation for 2023 exercise in the next few weeks.

On the Hajj Savings Scheme (HSS), Alhaji Hassan said that as a new concept in the country, it was bound to have some teething problems, but expressed optimism that with time, the scheme would bring enormous benefit to the country, as in Malaysia and Indonesia, where the profits from a similar scheme had been used to subsidise the cost of Hajj for this year and years past.

He further said that the advantages of HSS would not be felt by NAHCON alone, but the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria.

He made it known that the Hajj Institute would formally be launched in three months’ time, with President Muhammadu Buhari expected to declare it opened.

Alhaji Hassan further disclosed that he and his commissioners and some management staff would form the first set of enrollees at the Institute.