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2023 Hajj: NAHCON Breaks Silence On Living Condition Of Nigerian Pilgrims In Makkah
The Chairman of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, stated this during a working visit to Mutawif for Pilgrims from African non-Arab countries, in Makkah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“First, I will like to react to the fact that there was an invasion of this year’s Hajj by illegal pilgrims and it was embarrassing.
“I don’t know the percentage but we saw people who had no business in Mina and a few days later they turned Mina into a marketplace and a carnival.
“However, we were not in a position to checkmate them. We do not have security control because there was no way we can handle the issue, an embarrassment to us.
“There was no way we can check them. Only the appropriate authorities can do that.”
Hassan said that the same tent space used for the 2022 Hajj of about 43,000 pilgrims, was the same tent Nigeria used for 95,000 pilgrims for this year’s Hajj.
“In view of the inadequate tent space, many pilgrims who looked towards an enjoyable Hajj had to find themselves under the sun for days.
“And they had nowhere to go but remain under the sun. Many didn’t know that the best we can do as a Hajj mission is only to complain. We had no power or control over the issue.
“We were just helpless and this is not a good one for the pilgrims who have looked towards an enjoyable Hajj.”
He said like the issue of tent, the issue of food was poorly served by the company, adding that meals had no Nigerian touch.
According to him, this year, very many food served to pilgrims were not eaten and even if they came, they were very late.
“NAHCON was helpless on the issues of the tent space and feeding. We had no control and management but we take the blame because the pilgrims know us they don’t know you.
“They believed we were responsible, yet we are helpless. We also went through the pain. Some of our places were turned like a refuse dump and at times some of our toilets lacked water.”
The NAHCON boss, therefore, demanded that going forward, the commission should be allowed to handle feeding of pilgrims at Mina and Arafat to ensure that Nigerian pilgrims get value for their money.
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