NAHCON vouches for safety of new hajj savings scheme

By : Ibrahim Obansa, Lokoja

Date: 4 December 2020 4:55am WAT

Muslim pilgrims circle counterclockwise Islam's holiest shrine, the Kaaba, at the Grand Mosque in the Saudi holy city of Mecca, late on September 20, 2015. The annual hajj pilgrimage begins on September 22, and more than a million faithful have already flocked to Saudi Arabia in preparation for what will for many be the highlight of their spiritual lives. AFP PHOTO / MOHAMMED AL-SHAIKH

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has assured Muslim pilgrims of safety of their contributions in the newly introduced Hajj Savings Scheme, noting that the initiative was to ease preparation for pilgrimages.

Its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Olakunle Hassan Zikirullah, gave the assurance during a stakeholders’ meeting in Lokoja.

Represented by Imam Ahmad Saad, NAHCON boss said the commission would partner with Jaiz Bank in the management of the scheme, adding that when the project becomes operational, problems relating to payment and preparation would have been addressed.

He commended the Kogi State Hajj Commission for being proactive in the handling of pilgrimage operations over the years.

The chairman said the body had always keyed into NAHCON’s activities, adding that the gathering was to create awareness for the plan.

Earlier, Executive Chairman of Kogi State Hajj Commission, Sheikh Luqman Imam Abdullahi, said the scheme was floated to make spiritual trips stress-free.