NAHCON says all Nigerian pilgrims to arrive in next 10 days

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), has said that the ongoing airlift of Nigerian pilgrims back into the country would be completed within the next 10 days.
Abdullahi Mohammed, Chairman of the Commission, at a meeting with officials of the commission on Sunday night in Makkah, thanked Allah; adding that the sad experiences of missing pilgrims, the tug of war at the airport, the struggles to board buses, the poor feeding condition of pilgrims, accommodation, among others, witnessed in the past have all, now, been confined to the dustbin of history.
He also noted the need to equally improve knowledge on Hajj exercise for pilgrims, saying that, “NAHCON is committed to this goal and by Allah’s grace the sky is the limit.”
The chairman enjoined all stakeholders to give a helping hand and be part of the move to reposition Hajj operations in Nigeria, through meaningful and constructive criticisms, suggestions and advises.
He charged all staff, permanent, ad-hoc and officials to redouble their efforts in promptly attending to pilgrims, and also exercise more restraint and patience with them.
”Some of them have become homesick while others have almost exhausted their BTA and are therefore prone to aggressive tendencies. Tempers are bound to rise, and it is the responsibility of staff and officials to effectively douse tensions and tempers when they flare up,” he admonished.
The chairman said efforts are being intensified to reposition Hajj affairs in Nigeria to match global best practices.
“The main focus of NAHCON is to get to the zenith of the best Hajj management where difficulties, problems and hitches of the exercise would be drastically reduced to their barest minimum if not completely eradicated.”
A total of 42,126 Nigerian pilgrims were said to have been transported home in a record 100 flights after performing this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia.