Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR),has commended the stakeholders involved in transporting pilgrims to the Saudi Arabia for smooth conduct of operations.
The organisation gave the commendation in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed, in Abuja on Saturday.
Muhammed lauded the leadership of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Airlines involved in flight operations and service providers for a successful handling of the operations.
The CSO coordinator said NAHCON had facilitated the airlift of over 21,075 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia with almost zero hitches.
According to him, available information shows that almost everyone involved in the airlift and reception operations is up and doing, hence the successes recorded so far.
“We are particularly happy that almost all the pilgrims so far, apart from 547 from Kano, landed in Madinah. This is commendable.
“Special commendation also goes to all officials across the states who promptly mobilise their pilgrims to transit camps and the airlines for always arriving on time for departure.
“We commend the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for the seamless Visa processing procedure, one of the critical challenges to pilgrim’s airlift in the past.
“We are also unaware of any pilgrims’ complaints regarding issuance of BTA, room allocation in Madina or feeding,” he said.
According to him, members of the NAHCON advance team are doing what they were sent to do, and we can only commend them and urge them to do more.
“However, we urge all involved to sustain the same degree of commitment as pilgrims transit from Madina to Makkah.
“Average Nigerian Pilgrims will spend 29 to 30 days in Makkah as compared to 4-5 days in Madina. That is where the major services will be put on the scale of measurement,” he said.
He called on private tour operators whose pilgrims will start travelling to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to also ensure that they have a near seamless exercise.
“The real work will start on 8 of Dhul Hijja when pilgrims will move to Mashair for the Hajj days. Recurring problems revolve around feeding and bed spaces in Mina,” he said
