The Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) that monitors and reports hajj activities has urged the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to adopt two-year hajj registration formalities.
The appeal was contained in a statement jointly signed by its National Coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed and Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Mahmoud on Sunday in Kaduna.
Muhammed also called on the Hajj regulator to commence registration of intending pilgrims for Hajj 2021 alongside the ongoing Hajj 2020 registration exercise to ease the registration process.
Commending NAHCON for issuing a timely directive to states Muslim pilgrims welfare boards to commence pilgrims registration, he urged NAHCON to address the registration and logistics challenges.
According to him, the current yearly registration of intending pilgrims in Nigeria often creates serious challenges on the delivery of consistent services to intending pilgrims in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“The new introduction of tourist visa has opened the door for a large number of tourists to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“Given this development, securing a standard accommodation close to the vicinity of the Holy Mosque in Makkah will be a tough task unless NAHCON and States Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards device ways of contracting pilgrims’ accommodations beyond the one year as being done by countries like Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia.
“Allowing those who wish to perform hajj in 2021 to commence payment now will ease the process of pilgrim’s registration.
“Services like transport, accommodation and catering can be hired for two years as opposed to the current practice of securing services very close-to-hajj arrangement,’’ he said.
He further urged NAHCON to work towards the possibility of commencing registration for hajj 2021 along with that of 2020.
He explained that early payment would benefit intending pilgrims in the areas of pilgrims’ enlightenment and education, documentation and provision of other logistics as states Muslim pilgrims welfare boards would have ample time for such exercise.
Muhammed added that 75 to 80 per cent of Nigerian pilgrims who were middle class were mostly farmers and lacked financial capacity to pay for hajj seat at a go.
“As such, majority of the intending pilgrims will prefer a system that allows payment in a segment,’’ he said.
He advised NAHCON to urgently adopt a governance framework that is based on contractual deposits and fund investment mechanisms for pilgrims’ registration in the country.
(NAN)
