2 weeks ago
8
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says Saudi Authorities person approved 66,910 slots for Nigeria’s pilgrims to enactment successful the 2026 Hajj exercise.
The committee stated that Saudi Arabia reserved the fig connected the NUSUK Masar portal owed to the underutilisation of 95,000 slots allocated successful the erstwhile year.
NAHCON disclosed this successful a connection by its Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations, Hajiya Fatima Usara, successful Abuja connected Thursday.
Usara said the NAHCON Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, revealed this astatine a gathering with officials of State Pilgrims Welfare Boards successful Abuja.
Elegushi said the Mashair abstraction reserved for Nigeria’s pilgrims connected the NUSUK Masar portal was 66,910 slots for the 2026 Hajj.
“The accusation of this is that portion 95,000 slots were allocated to Nigeria, the existent fig that tin enactment successful the 2026 Hajj is 51,513 for states and each different officials, portion 15,397 volition spell to licensed circuit operators.
“It was revealed that Saudi Arabia reduced Nigeria’s campy slots to this fig of 66,910 connected the portal owed to underutilisation of slots successful the erstwhile year.”
The NAHCON commissioner revealed that earlier allocations would besides beryllium reversed based connected each state’s utilisation during the 2025 Hajj.
On his part, Dr Saidu Dumbulwa, the Board subordinate representing the Ministry of Health successful NAHCON, reiterated Saudi Arabia’s strict aesculapian requirements for pilgrims.
Dumbulwa emphasised that individuals with organ failure, neurological oregon psychiatric disorders, and dementia would not beryllium allowed introduction into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He said that others affected included pregnancy, progressive crab undergoing chemotherapy, and tuberculosis, oregon different communicable diseases.
According to him, the caller measures introduced by Saudi Arabia is aimed astatine reducing the hazard of illness transmission, mortality, and the healthcare load connected Saudi authorities.
He recommended that aesculapian screening should henceforth beryllium conducted lone by designated hospitals.
He said circumstantial persons of integrity would beryllium authorised to motion disconnected connected aesculapian certifications, which would past beryllium countersigned by the State’s Chief Medical Director to curb forgery.
“The committee emphasised that visa issuance volition beryllium linked to the aesculapian certificates, which volition beryllium verified astatine the constituent of entry.
”Hence each aesculapian regulations indispensable beryllium strictly adhered to, arsenic immoderate usurpation volition clasp Nigeria collectively accountable.”
In a related development, Aliu AbdulRazak, NAHCON Commissioner successful complaint of Policy Personnel Management and Finance, said the committee had obtained support to transportation states’ funds to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) connected a regular basis.
”The Chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Prof. Abdullahi Usman, has approved the transportation of funds to CBN connected regular basis, arsenic they are being received from the states, truthful arsenic to instrumentality vantage of the affirmative speech rate.”
The Board subordinate representing CBN successful NAHCON, Dr Adetona Adedeji, besides pledged to convey NAHCON ‘s petition to CBN connected the anticipation of reducing the 2 per cent complaint imposed connected pilgrims’ transactions.
Earlier successful his opening remarks, the NAHCON Chairman said efforts were ongoing to negociate reductions successful definite outgo components, specified arsenic cargo handling charges, successful bid to easiness the fiscal load connected intending pilgrims.
“The commission, however, emphasised that work providers’ rates volition not beryllium arbitrarily reduced, since that whitethorn impact services that pilgrims are expected to receive.
”The providers whitethorn connection services commensurate with payments made.
“The Commission besides requested States to taxable the fig of registered pilgrims to corroborate if it is successful enactment with NAHCON’s projections of pilgrims registration.”
According to him, this volition facilitate commensurate planning.
”The committee reminded the states of the caller deadline of Dec. 21 for remittances.
”Therefore, each authorities whitethorn acceptable an interior deadline to guarantee each funds are received and transferred to NAHCON earlier the cutoff date.
“To guarantee timely payments, NAHCON volition embark connected nationwide sensitisation for States and pilgrims to item the urgency and value of gathering the deadline.”
He noted that NAHCON, successful a caller developm...
English (US) ·