– Stakeholders meet to deliberate on stress-free Hajj2023
– Envoy praises NAHCON for successful airlift to Saudi
Movement of Nigerian pilgrims to Mina (also known as Muna) will begin from late Sunday/early hours of Monday, Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, has revealed.
The NAHCON chief made the revelation while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a pre-Arafah meeting late Saturday in Makkah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Camping at Mina, also known as the city of the tents, which is about nine kilometers on the outskirts of Makkah, is one of the major highlights of the hajj exercise.
The pre-Arafah meeting offered a platform for stakeholders, including the states’ boards, private operators, and Ulamaa (Islamic scholars) to deliberate further on a stress-free hajj 2023 for Nigerian pilgrims.
Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan noted that every hajj exercise was an experimentation in which new problems encountered were tackled and reviewed to prevent future occurrences.
He hoped that this year’s operation will go down memory lane as the most outstandingly successful hajj ever witnessed in Nigeria.
Movement Will Be Hitch-free, Says Dr. Tanko
Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Commission’s Committee for the movement, (Taraddudiyyah), Dr. Aliyu Abubakar Tanko, who expressed optimism that the movement will be hitch-free said it has been the practice for some years in the wee hours of the eight days of Dhul-Hijjah, otherwise known as YAUMU TARWEEYYAH, commenced. This is unique from the past when it was started after sunrise on the said day.
The Coordinator, who also spoke with the media, stated that the midnight movement was to ease the transportation of pilgrims and to avoid congestion on the roads which were the hallmark of the old movement system.
Dr. Aliyu Tanko said all stakeholders in the movement to Muna, Arafah, Musdalifah (Mashã’ir), back to Muna and Makkah later, have resolved to ensure a hitch-free movement, comfort, quality, ensure timely feeding arrangement and provision of all necessary logistics for the pilgrims, during their five days stay at the Mashã’ir.
He said a beautiful plan has been made by the Saudi authorities to ensure zero, or at least minimal casualty figure, when it becomes inevitable, during the movement to and from the symbolic stone pelting at the Jamrah.
Dr. Aliyu Tanko, therefore, enjoined the pilgrims to strictly and religiously abide by the guidelines of the Saudi Jamarãt master plan.
Successful 2023 Hajj Airlift Excites NAHCON
Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan further stated that to record the successes witnessed thus far, the Commission put all hands on deck, to the extent that all board members were physically on ground at various departure zones to actively participate in monitoring the airlift operations.
The Chairman informed participants at the meeting that the Commission took proactive measures in entering an agreement for five rescue flights in case there was any hitch that could have torpedoed the targeted completion date, which he said were later cancelled when hundred percent success was recorded.
Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan meanwhile appreciated the guidance, support, cooperation and understanding from the presidency and the Nigerian envoys in Saudi Arabia.
Envoy Commends Zikrullah-led Commission
Earlier in his welcome address at the pre-Arafah meeting, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Yahaya Lawal, commended the dexterity of NAHCON for the successful airlift on schedule of all Nigerian intending pilgrims to the holy land for this year’s hajj.
The envoy prayed that the return journey after the hajj rituals would equally be a resounding success.
Alhaji Yahaya Lawal stated that since the commencement of the airlift, he has been on ground monitoring the operation and that he was delighted that everything went on smoothly and that Nigerian pilgrims had a swell time in Madinah, minus a negligible hiccups that were later smoothened.
He hoped that the remaining part of the exercise, which is the main thrust of the pilgrimage journey would be hitch-free, smooth, comfortable and stress-free for all pilgrims.
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