Zikrullah Olakunle Hassan, the immediate past Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) stood tall on Sunday at the De Rembrandt Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos, as family, friends and other special guests in the private and business sectors took turns to honour and celebrate one of their own.
The occasion was the grand reception organised by The Companion, an association of Muslim men in business and the professions, for one of her illustrious members, after the end of his four meritorious years of service to the Nigerian Muslim Ummah and the nation, as the head of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria from December 2019 to October 2013.
Members of the association and their female counterpart, The Criterion were at their best as they trooped out in large numbers, from within and outside the state, to honour and celebrate Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, who arrived at the event with his wife, Alhaja Mutiat Hassan.
Muslim News gathered that the celebrant was the cynosure of all eyes as his friends and colleagues in the hajj and umrah industry extolled his virtues and sterling qualities in glowing terms.
MUSWEN lauds Zikrullah Hassan, for outstanding performance
The chairman of the occasion and President of Muslim Ummah of South-West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo lauded Alhaji Hassan’s outstanding performance during his tenure as the head of NAHCON.
Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, who is also the Deputy President (South), NSCIA, recalled how former president Muhammadu Buhari invited the leadership of MUSWEN to a meeting at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja and told them that he had zoned the position of NAHCON Chairman to the South West and requested nominations from us.
“That’s how the responsibility fell on Prof Naibi to scout for who should be nominated. After going through the region of southwest and interviewing different candidates, everyone agreed that the best candidate for the job was Zikrullah Kunle Hassan”, he noted.
Alhaji Oladejo showered encomiums on the former NAHCON boss, saying he served creditably well and did not disappoint the MUSWEN leadership that nominated him.
“One of his achievements is the Hajj Saving Scheme, which had been in the pipeline for so long. The scheme saw the light when Zikrullah Hassan was the chairman. The same thing with the Hajj Institute. Many people in the hajj business are just doing it without any formal training and I think during his time, he introduced the Institute to the industry.
“He came to the job during the COVID-19 era and that is enough handicap. He surmounted the challenges and successfully organised two hajj exercises. Thank you for everything you did. We are very grateful,” he said.
He took hajj management to an enviable level: Amir Companion
Speaking further on Zikrullah Hassan’s achievements at NAHCON during his welcome address, the host and Amir of The Companion, Engr. Kamil Olalekan said the leadership of the Commission will be remembered for partnering with NITDA to incorporate the use of ICT and digitalisation to bring efficiency to hajj management.
Engr. Olalekan described Alhaji Hassan as a worthy ambassador of The Companion which he was serving as a national officer before he was appointed NAHCON chairman.
He noted that the Ummah was proud of the many achievements of the former NAHCON chairman, saying Hassan performed creditably well and deserved commendation as he took hajj management to an enviable level.
Hassan rallies support for NAHCON towards hitch-free 2024 Hajj
The celebrator in his speech solicited support for the current leadership of the agency under Mallam Jalal Ahmad Arabi, saying that the depreciation in the value of Naira against international currencies has led to an astronomical hike in the fares for the 2024 Hajj.
Calling on the Muslim Ummah in the country to bear with NAHCON, he assured that the Commission was doing everything possible to ease the pains of prospective pilgrims and make the 2024 hajj exercise a success.
According to him, “The Muslim community has to support the new leadership of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.
In my opinion, they are doing their very best. Considering the high cost of hajj, the truth is that the official exchange rate has gotten expensive. We all have to support them. I think they are already on the right path. May Almighty Allah make it easy.”
Other speakers at the event were: former Minister of Interior and one-time Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu; former Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire; pioneer Executive Secretary of MUSWEN, Prof. Dawud Noibi; Alhaji Y.KO.Kareem; Professor Khalid Adekoya and a host of others
Rauf Aregbesola described Alhaji Hassan as a worthy ambassador of Islam during his tenure.
Senator Shuaib Salis, representing Ogun Central at the Senate, recalled that the courage and skill demonstrated by Hassan while at the helms of affairs at NAHCON was the reaffirmation of the same feat he displayed while leading the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria at different levels in the past.
Other guests
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